Extremely Unrealistic Coincidences
by ladyclaire4161
Summary: What happens when you put an angry Lily Evans next to James Potter on a ten hour flight to California? A series of extremely unrealistic coincidences find Lily and James stuck together during the summer before their seventh year. Will changes occur?
1. California Screamin'

Hey everyone! This is my first fanfic ever, so you better review and tell me what you think, or else!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. _sniff sniff._

Chapter 1: California Screamin'

I honestly believe that any story worth telling should begin with a scream. That way, the reader's attention is immediately grabbed by the handful and ends up being swallowed by Peter Pettigrew. I swear that kid eats anything within reach (including your attention). Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself…

"AHHHHHH!!!!!"

I didn't mean to scream. I really didn't. Blame _him_.

Once again, I am getting ahead of myself. Let me backtrack a little…

"Lily! I'm going to miss you so much!" my bestest friend in the whole wide world (Afhton) yells into my ear as we embrace in farewell. I can't believe that sixth year is over. It's over! Where did the time go?

"Eissss uutooth," I reply. I tried to say, "I'll miss you too," but it was choked by Afhton's brown hair making its way into my mouth. I don't know how she understood me, but she did. We've been best friends since that faithful day in first year. Great, now I'm going to have to tell the story. Here I go…

I was walking back to the Common Room in first year when a bunch of third year Slytherins cornered me. They called me a mudblood (at the time I had no idea what that meant), and they started to hex me. I, being a first year, didn't have a clue on how to defend myself. That was when (insert heroic music here) Afhton showed up. She was from a pureblood family, so she already knew a few spells. She hexed them back while I kneed a Slytherin guy right where the sun don't shine. We kicked their butts! Naturally, we've been best mates ever since.

Now, we can practically read each other's minds. She is always there when I need her to be, and I am always there for her. She also happens to be the one person I can trust to tell me when the outfit that I'm wearing is really hideous (or some version of that). She's cool like that.

In speaking of cool, I just noticed James Potter off to the side talking with, which I assume are his parents. Did I just think "cool"? It's not that I think he's cool, it's just that most people do, but I don't, unless you consider cool to be arrogant and git-like, then he would be cool, but then Afhton wouldn't be cool because she's not like that, and I am rambling, so I'll just shut up now.

To me, James Potter is the exact opposite of what most people call "cool." I don't know why, but ever since first year, he's had an obsession of annoying me. And then annoying turned into embarrassing. Then embarrassing turned into causing me some serious pain. Of course when that happened, I didn't go down without a fight. He's usually in the Hospital Wing longer than I am after one of our duels (yes, it is a regular occurrence at Hogwarts. (Most students love the show. We should get paid!)).

He also has an obsession with pranking and hexing innocent people. It just makes my blood boil. He's so cruel to everyone, not just me. It's not just him, though. He and the Marauders (Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew (the kid who eats everything) and, of course, James Potter) terrorize everyone anytime of any day. I, being the responsible heroine, must face the forces of darkness everyday to make the world a better place!!!

"Warning, Affie. Git alert," I hiss into my friend's ear as the one and only James Potter approaches us on the platform. I wonder what he wants. He is probably going to ask me out. Oh yeah. Another one of Potter's obsessions is asking me out. Like annoying, embarrassing, and causing physical pain isn't enough!

"Ahh, my ladies," James says to us with a bow, "I come to bid yee farewell until next year. I also wish to ask this lovely maiden if she would do me the pleasure of—"

"The answer's no, Potter! It always will be no! Why is that so impossible for you to understand?!?" I can't help but lash out at him. This would be the 316th time he has asked me out in sixth year alone. That makes a grand total of 729 times since third year. And I've said "no" every single time. I know that he'll never stop until I give in. Which will never happen, by the way. It drives me crazy!

In fact, all of the girls at school already think I'm crazy. They all love James, with his untamable hair, his sexy Quidditch body, and his famous charm. I'll admit, he's not bad looking, but there's a whole other side to him. All of those girls always ignore the arrogant, cruel, boasting, prat part of him. I can't stand it.

I catch a glimpse of my ride to the airport through the mass of people trying to catch their trains. I, ignoring James and the hurt look on his face, turn to Afhton and say, "Promise to write everyday."

"Only if you will," she sighs, pulling me into another hug. I feel tears well up in my eyes, but I hold them back. Hogwarts is my home. I hate leaving it for the summer. I feel empty not being in the corridors; not waking up in the dormitory. I always miss its magic (and its food. Yum!).

I finally brake away and push my way through the sea of people. I shout a quick "'Bye!" back to Afhton as I walk towards the car that will take me to the airport. I get into the car, and I settle into my seat. I can still see Potter standing beside Afhton with a dazed look on his face. I soon forget about him as the car starts and I drive away.

I am excited. I mean, come on, it is California! Sunny skies, palm trees, and (my favorite) the beach! And no rain! I'm so sick of all of England's rain. I need sun! Give me Vitamin D!

Well, my parents wanted to take me on a vacation with just the three of us. I have never been to the United States, ever, so they offered to take me to CALIFORNIA! I'm going to California! I'm going to California! Like I said before, I am excited.

I don't know why they wanted me to fly (by airplane, I mean). I think they wanted me to have a stress-free, magic-less, traditional muggle vacation. I guess I can live with that. I guess I've gotten really lazy lately with all of my magical perks. Well, I have been really busy with school, but still. Maybe my parents are trying to tell me something…Nah!

They also sent Petunia to France with her friends (like I said, stress-free!). My parents also had taken an earlier flight so they could get everything ready for when I arrived. I can't wait to see them. I've missed them so much!

I can't help but feel jumpy while boarding the plane. My O.W.L's were finally finished. I'd have no worries: no school work, no patrol, no crazy Quidditch parties to break up, and my personal favorite, no James Potter. And I get to go to California!

I settle into my seat, and I am pleased to note that I am next to a window. Why, do you ask, would that make me happy? No, I'm not suicidal. I love flying. Nobody, not even Afhton, knows about this. In this case, I am talking about with a broom. I love the feeling of complete tranquility as I can soar through the sky with the wind whipping through my hair. It is my escape.

I remember the first time I got on a broom. I had just found out what a mudblood meant (shortly after the incident with the Slytherins, and Afhton and me kicking their butts). I was so sad. I felt worthless. I remembered seeing some older students at Quidditch practice, so I grabbed a broom from an old closet. I had no bloody idea what I was doing, but I was so sad that I did it anyway. I went to the lake, and the next thing I knew, I was flying. I was never scared; flying came as natural to me as breathing. After that first flight, whenever I needed a break from life, I would fly away from it. The wind would blow away my troubles.

Even though I can't feel the wind from inside the plane, I'm ecstatic with the view that I will soon receive. That pleasure, though, is exterminated shortly.

I, mindlessly flipping through a muggle magazine, I hear someone approach. I'm so relaxed; I didn't even notice that the person is about to talk to me.

"Lily dearest, my I take this seat?" a familiar male voice asks me.

"Whatever, Potter," I snap at him, not even taking my eyes off of the magazine. It takes me a full 10 seconds to realize what just happened. I slowly bring my gaze off of the magazine to look at the person talking to me. It's Potter. Sitting next to me. On an airplane. To California.

"AHHHHHH!!!!!"

A/N: So here's chapter one! I hope you liked it. Please review. Tell me what 'cha think!


	2. From Bunnies to Slapping

Extremely Unrealistic Coincidences

ladyclaire4161

Chapter 2: From Bunnies to Slapping

I quickly close my eyes. This can't be right. Fate wouldn't, no, it couldn't be this cruel to me. To anyone for that matter. Potter can't be here. This is a dream. Yeah, that sounds good. A dream.

I open one eye a crack to see if he's still there. Bugger. He is.

"This is a dream. This is a dream. This is a dream," I mutter to myself, eyes still clamped shut. I sneak another glance next to me. He's _still_ there! Why won't you go away?

"Uh, Lily?" I ignore James's comment and continue chanting. Why isn't this working? Hmm, think. Oh right. I should pinch myself.

That only left me with a sore arm and a James Potter still next to me. Not a dream. Perfect (note the sarcasm).

"POTTER, what are you doing here?" I shout at him. I notice that the people around are staring at me like I'm mad. I might as well be. I'd rather be at St. Mungo's right now then next to the Git of the Year. Let them stare.

"I'm going to California on vacation with my parents," he answers calmly. I stare at him for a few seconds in shock. _No, that's what I'm doing!_ I practically scream in my head. Then, I whip out my wand.

"_Stupefy!_" I yell as Potter goes plowing into the row beside us. Then, for some reason, his hair turns bright pink. Ha! A feeling of triumph sweeps through me. Potter finally got what he deserves. The people on the plane applaud my actions as I give a mock bow…

"Lily? Are you alright?" James waves his hand in front of face and I'm knocked out of my fantasy. His hair is now his normal, messy black. (I should think about dying his hair pink. That was so funny!) I would never curse James out of the blue like that. I'm way too nice for that. That's something that _he _would do to _me_. I will not stoop to his level. (Also, I would be in loads of trouble with so many muggles around.) That would be hilarious, though.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"Look, Lily," James starts, "I didn't know about sitting next to you. If you want, I'll go and see if there are any other open seats." James actually looks sincere. Maybe he feels bad about what I said (more like shouted) to him earlier. Now I feel guilty. Why do I have to be so nice?

"No," I say as he starts to get up, "you don't have to move."

"You sure?" Wow. I can't believe he's being this sweet.

"Yeah. It's fine. Just a coincidence," I say with a shrug. _An extremely unrealistic coincidence, if you ask me, _I think to myself.

I notice that another person just sat down beside James. She's eyeing me with a keen interest that kinda freaks me out. I must've looked really scared, because she just smirked and stuck her hand out to me across James.

"Hey," she says cheerfully, "my name is Kristen."

"I'm Lily."

"Who is your friend?" she asks gesturing to James.

"That _thing_," I whisper to her, ignoring James, "is a James Potter. And we're not friends."

"Oh, okay," Kristen says with a wink as she pulls her blonde hair into a ponytail. Then she turned to James.

"Hi _James_. My name is _Kristen_." She annunciated the names like he was deaf. James suddenly smile brilliantly, and then hid it with a cough.

"Nice to meet'cha _Kristen_," James replied with a smirk, stressing her name. What's his problem? Did I miss something?

"So," Kristen starts, "are you two going out?"

I immediately yell, "NO!" and at the same time, James says, "Yeah." I could see the confusion on Kristen's pretty face.

"Well, which is it? I hope it's yes! The two of you would make the cutest couple!"

"That's never going to happen. Us dating, I mean." I guess I seemed a little snappy. I could see James and Kristen flinch as if my words actually stung them. I understand why James would be hurt; he really does care about me, I guess. But Kristen? Why does she care? I seriously think that I missed something.

"Well, I'm going to sleep now. You two behave yourselves," Kristen laughs as she closes her blue eyes. I didn't even notice that we had taken off. I need to be more observant if I'm going to figure this Kristen character out.

A half an hour later, I, listening to my favorite muggle band, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, am once again flipping mindlessly through a muggle magazine. What should I read? _How I Lost My Virginity. _Ew. Don't wanna read that one. _Famous Pooches. _One word: boring! _Could He Just Be the _OneHmmm, interesting. I think I'll read this.

_"This boy kept pestering me for years. He would ask me out constantly, but I really hated him. He wouldn't stop, though. One day, I realized (years later) that I really loved him. We went out and fell passionately in love. Now, we're married with our first little boy. I'm so happy that I realized my love for him. -Dannielle B."_

I can't believe that she could change her mind about him like that. People can't change. I mean, come on. If they did, I'd be going out with Potter now.

"Moron," I mutter under my breath about the woman in the article. Well, I thought it was under my breath. Apparently, my music was so loud that 'under my breath' was really 'normal voice.' Which is why Mr. Genius James Potter thought I was calling him a moron. Like my thoughts are always centered on _him_. In his dreams. Actually, I don't want to know what he dreams about. Probably about Quidditch stuff, anyway.

"What was that, Lily?" I glance up as James drops something. I pick it up. It's a notebook. I wonder what's in there; it can't be schoolwork (James never does schoolwork. How he's the best in almost every class, I'll never know). I'll have to investigate that book.

I pull the headphones out of my ears and hand him his notebook. "Sorry, I wasn't calling you a moron. I was just muttering to myself, but I couldn't hear over the music. Sorry."

"It's fine," he says quietly. He has that dazed look on his face again. He doesn't say anything else, so I turn and look at the clouds outside the window. Hmmm, that one looks like a bunny. I like bunnies…

"I'm the one that should be sorry."

I'm so shocked that my head does a full 180-degree turn from where it was happily daydreaming about cute little bunnies. "Huh?"

"I've never truly realized how mean I was to you in the past: humiliating you in front of the whole school, turning your hair too many colors to name, displaying you diary in the Great Hall… That one was funny!" Whoa. Did he just say that was funny? It might have been humiliating and cruel, but funny? I don't think so!

I could literally feel my blood begin to boil. How could he just _laugh_ like that? I'm right here!!!! That was the worst day of my life! And he's _laughing _about it!!!! AHHH!

He must have noticed my fists clench in anger. His face visibly paled as he realized what he just said. To make it worse, he tried to apologize. "I mean, that was really mean and I shouldn't have done that to you."

Panic had made his voice go up an octave. It kinda sounded funny. I would've laughed if I wasn't so angry. I wish that I could curse him, but since there are so many muggles around, that is not an option. So I do the next best thing: yelling.

"How could you just laugh about it! That was the WORST DAY OF MY LIFE!" I'm actually trembling I'm so angry.

"Lily, please forgive me. I'm such a jerk—"

"You've got that right! You are the biggest jerk I've ever met! I can't believe you!" I needed to hit something really badly. Damn, there's nothing to hit. I'll do the next best thing.

SLAP!

I hit him with all of the force that I could muster in the small space that we're in. James (no, I'll only call him Potter now) looks so shocked. I don't know why. He had it coming. He's just sitting there, stunned. Finally, he brings a hand to touch the red mark on his face.

"LILY! What was that for?!" he screamed at me, temper flaring.

"What was that for?! For making my life a living hell! For torturing innocent people for the fun of it! For being such an egotistical, menacing, annoying, malicious JERK! That's what!"

All of the screaming attracted the attention of the people on the plane. Kristen was now awake, cringing at the force of my words. I started to pant from my outburst. I thought it couldn't get worse, until I hear what Potter has to say about all of this.

"So, would this be a bad time to ask you out?"


	3. War and Retaliation

A/N: hey y'all! (just so ya know, i never say y'all. that was my weird moment for today). here's a new chappy!!!! i hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: If you think that I own Harry Potter, then you're extremely delusional.

**Chapter 3**: War and Retaliation

I can't believe him. I really can't.

I just yelled myself hoarse and the only thing he thinks about is asking me out.

Unbelievable.

Now I'm too hyped up to do anything productive. So I can just stare at the bunny cloud, replaying our conversation over and over in my head. I just can't believe it.

It's been an hour already since our little _dispute_. Wait, let me check my watch. Oh, bugger. It has only been five minutes. This is going to be the worst ten hours of my life. Somebody shoot me.

In speaking of shooting, Boy Wonder James Potter is now blasting aliens on a video game. I mean, come on! How immature can you get? This can't get any worse.

"Die aliens! Die!"

I stand corrected.

I turn to Kristen, who is now awake and reading, and plead, "Could ya shoot me, pleeeease?"

"Why would you want me to shoot you?" she asks innocently. I can see the glimmer of a smirk behind her eyes. She kind of reminds me of someone…

In reply, I just nod my head in Potter's direction, who is smiling in enthusiasm of his videogame. He also has headphones on to add the effect of the game. I'm glad; he can't hear me.

"Are you trying to tell me that you didn't hear our…argument earlier?"

"Honey, everyone in Canada heard that argument," she laughs. "I can't see your problem though. A perfectly handsome young man wants to take you on a date. What's wrong with that?"

I stare at her with my mouth hanging open. How can she not understand? "Well, let me clear things up for you. He's been making my life miserable since first year. He's died my hair tons of colors. He's tripped me at school just to laugh at my face. He enjoys my pain! His ego is the size of…well, Canada, and he boasts about how great he is at everything. And on top of that, he asks me out _all of the time._ That was the 730th time he's asked me out. It's always, 'Hey Evans! Go out with me!' or 'My dearest Lily, will you honor me with a trip to Hogsme- I mean the movies?' I don't want to go out with him, but he keeps asking me anyway. It drives me insane!"

I'm really out of breath from that speech. It feels good to talk to someone about my horrid life.

"Girl, that was the longest speech I've ever heard in my life," Kristen sighs. "I still don't see what the issue is. He's obviously, seriously in love with you. Why don't you just give him a chance?"

"Ya know what," I say with some thought, "when Potter kisses my feet and begs for my forgiveness on his knees, I'll give him a chance."

"Well, I'm glad you've admitted that there is a chance that you may give him a break," Kristen says with a look of triumph on her face.

"A very slim chance," I remind her.

"A chance is a chance, no matter how big or small it may be." Geesh. That sounds like it came out of a fortune cookie. She's really starting to remind me of someone…. I'll figure it out later. Now, I want more Red Hot Chili Peppers!

About an hour later (and yes, it actually is an hour later, thank you very much!), I'm staring out of my window with music pounding in my ears. I really wish that I could just grab my broom and zoom out through the window. I stroke the small broomstick key chain that is on my pack. I actually transfigured my broom into a little keychain (without dying in the process!). Even though walking around with a broom is normal in Hogwarts, it is quite uncommon in the muggle world. With me and my bright thinking, I decided to make my broomstick into a lovely accessory on my bag. I truly wish that I could fly on it, though.

As I daydream about flying through the clouds, I notice something in the reflection of the window. I focus my gaze on it, and I realize that it's Potter. He's staring at the back of my head. It looks like he's thinking about running his fingers through my red hair. He better not, if he doesn't want some seriously broken fingers.

I can see the expression of his face change suddenly. I guess he's remembering all of the things that I said to him earlier. Well, he deserved it! Yep, I'm right. Now he's making funny faces behind my back. That's so pathetic and immature. He really needs to grow up.

I try to ignore him. Sadly, it's not working.

Okay, he just made fun of my hair. My hair! He put his red sweater beside his head and pretended to brush it. My hair is not _that _red!

I need to do something in retaliation. I got the perfect thing! I fake a yawn and perform an exaggerated stretch. I angle my body so my outstretched hand hits him in the face, shoving it upwards. To finish, I give his face one last shove to knock his glasses off. Then, I turn to observe my work.

I see Potter bent over trying to find his glasses. "Oh, I'm sorry!" I say cheerfully. "Did I knock your glasses off? (Here, I throw him a sheepish grin) I guess I underestimated the size of your inflated head. My bad!" I keep grinning as I give him a dramatic shrug.

He's finally finds his glasses. He sits up and says, "Oh, no. That's quite alright. No harm done." Then he makes a show of putting his glasses back on. Note to self, next time, be sure to break his glasses.

Now that a certain prat isn't annoying me, I can actually do something. Not really wanting to listen to more music, I decide to read a little bit. I pull out my favorite muggle romance/adventure book and begin reading. I don't get far before I hear an annoying voice in my ear.

"Lily." You'll never guess who it is.

"L-ileeee." He stretches out my name and says it in a childish voice.

"What Potter?" (All of those who guessed Potter, you're right. Sadly.)

"Nothing. I just like saying your name."

"Okay…"

I start to read again. Once again, an annoying voice sounds in my ear.

"Lily Lily Lily Lily Lily," Potter mutters to himself. I'm really trying to ignore him.

"LILY lily LILY lily L-ILEEEE," he sings, making his voice go higher and then lower. I don't know how much more of this I can take.

"Lilykins, Lilyflower, Lilypop, Lilydear, Lily Lily Lily Lily Lily—"

"SHUT UP!!" I finally snap.

"Jeez, you could say please," Potter says in an aloof way.

"Fine. Please?"

"Please what?"

"Please stop saying my name."

"When?"

"Now."

"Now what?"

"Stop saying my name."

"What do you say?" I take a deep breath to calm myself. It's not working.

"Please stop saying my name now." Yes I finally got him. He appears to be thinking a little bit.

"No."

"Ahhhhh!" I yell frustrated. I need to hit something…

"Now James," Kristen buds in before I can slap Potter again, "leave Lily alone. She's done nothing wrong to you—"

"She knocked off my glasses!" Potter protests childishly.

"Don't make things up," she warns, waving her finger at him. "Leave the nice girl alone."

"But Mommy—"

"No buts mister," Kristen scolds. Potter just hangs his head down in mock guilt. Ok. I am DEFINITELY missing something here. Did she just let Potter call her _Mommy_?

"Here, play with this," Kristen commands, handing Potter a piece of paper.

"Ooooo, a crossword! I love crossword puzzles!" Potter exclaims before bending over in concentration. He looks ridiculous.

After about three minutes of silence, I am finally aware that Kristen successfully distracted Potter. I've been trying to do that for years! She's known him for about an hour and a half, and she's already figured it out! If I weren't so happy that Potter isn't talking to me anymore, I'd be really pissed.

"Thanks for that, Kristen," I say gratefully.

"Anytime," she says with a smile.

Without anything to occupy my mind, I finally realize how tired I really am. I think I'll take a little nap. That sounds good.

I start to drift off into sleep when I hear:

"Hey, Lily, do you know a six letter word for something that's annoying and a nuisance?"

_Yeah,_ I think, _it begins with a P and ends with Otter._ I don't really want to start another argument, so I just reply, "Try hassle."

"Perfect! Thanks," he says, bending over again. I close my eyes, and I immediately feel sleep surrounding me.

A/N: that's chapter 3 for ya! I hope you like it, but even if you didn't, PLEASE REVIEW!!!! (that kinda sounded desperate, but i l-o-v-e LOVE reviews!!!!)


	4. I Dream of Potter

A/N: Hey guys! Love to all of my reviewers (you know who you are!!!) The reviews make me HAPPY!!!!! I love getting reviews.

Well, this chapter is really about nothing…I don't know why I wrote it…oh well! It's just a bunch of random, funny madness! I'll just shut up now and let you read!

Disclaimer: Me own nada. (In English (real English), that means, "I don't own anything" in case you were wondering.)

**Chapter 4**: I Dream of Potter

_I wake up in a bright meadow. Bright, as in sunny _and_ colorful. I've never seen colors this…beautiful before. Beautiful is an understatement. It's too stunning for words. As far as I can see stretches a sea of golden flowers. Each one looks like sunlight is inside of the petals, shining outward. Their sweet perfume makes its way to me as I sigh in happiness. This is so peaceful. I could stay here forever._

_The sky is a cloudless blue, with singing birds dancing in the air. I wish I could fly with them in the sky. I just need my broom. _Wait…what's that?_ I think to myself as I look up towards the sun. I have to shield my eyes from the bright ball of light. There, flying in the air is a…well, I don't know what it is! I wait patiently until it gets closer. As the whizzing object draws nearer, I realize that it is my broom. What luck!_

_It reaches me as I extend my hand to grasp it. Before you can say, "Cheese whiz," (I really like cheese by the way. It's yummy!) I'm in the air. My red hair swirls around my head like fire. The wind hisses in my face as I go faster and faster. All of my troubles go away as I pick up speed and soar through the surrounding blue sky._

_Hours pass in the air before I touch back down. I had lost track of time, but my growling stomach threw me back to reality. I land in the exact same meadow that my flight started in. I lie down in the bed of flowers and relax. This place is too perfect._

_My stomach growls again. I'm instantly reminded of the time in Potions when I slept in late and missed breakfast. I was so hungry that my stomach growled constantly during class. Everyone laughed at me! I was so mortified…stupid stomach. _(A/N: This happens to me all of the time in class. It really is embarrassing!)

_The smell of a grilled steak swirls to my nose. I turn my head to see a picnic set out for me. There, on a plate, is the best looking steak and mashed potatoes that I have ever seen. I happily plop down on the blanket and dig in._

_After I can't consume any more food, I find myself with nothing to do. _I wish I had a book, _I think to myself. Before you can say, "Polyjuice Potion," a stack of my favorite muggle books appears beside me. I squeal in delight and pick up the first one. I sit against a tree that just appeared and read in the shade._

_Time passes unbelievably fast. The sun has set already, leaving a speckled, dark night behind. I, once again, lie in the flowers and gaze at the sky. The stars are so beautiful here. They are like tiny diamonds in the sky. I sigh in contentment, and before I know it, I fall into a deep, blissful sleep._

_I wake at the sound of birds chirping and the sun on my face. I lazily sit up, stretching and yawning. I notice that I am not alone anymore. A messy haired boy is sitting next to me, playing with a golden flower._

_"Good morning, Lily," he says with a smile as he sees that I'm awake. I'm so happy to see him. "What do you want to do today?"_

_I look at my surroundings. Flowers cover ever surface. I can see a small puddle about 100 yards away from me. That's funny. I didn't know that it was raining. Seconds pass, and the puddle has turned into a large lake!_

_"Let's go swimming!" I yell as I sprint to the water. We race to the lake, but as I reach it, I stop in surprise. Instead of a reflection of the sky, there is a picture in the water's reflection. _

_A young woman is sitting in a rocking chair, gently rocking back and forth with a bundle in her arms. On her face is the expression of pure happiness and love. She smiles at the little bundle, humming my favorite lullaby._

_"Little Harry, you look exactly like you father," she sighs, grinning again. She looks so familiar; I don't know who she is, though. Her red hair is flowing freely and her green eyes are sparkling. I've never seen someone so happy before._

_"Who is she?" I ask the black haired boy next to me._

_"Who do you think she is?" he replies with a smile. It hits me like a blind hippogriff running into a tree. _She's me,_ I think in astonishment. I can't believe that I could be that woman. She's so happy. I didn't know that it was possible to be that happy._

_"Wow," I gasp as I look at the boy again. I don't get a good look because I'm suddenly surrounded by water. That bloody prat pushed me in the lake!_

_While I'm here, I guess I'll tease him a little bit. I've always loved swimming (I have a pool in my backyard), and I can hold my breath for a long time. I swim around the perimeter of the lake, conserving my air. After about 60 seconds, I can hear him start to panic. I'm about to resurface, but he dives into the lake, missing me by inches underwater. His eyes franticly search for me through the murkiness. He sees me, perfectly fine, and laughs. Well, he tries to laugh. I guess he forgot that we are underwater, because he choked on the water. I grab his shirt and drag him to the surface._

_We break the surface and breathe in the luscious oxygen. The boy starts choking, his black hair sticking to his face. He finally stops, and I break out into fits of laughter. Soon, we're both laughing over nothing. I'm unable to control my fits, and soon my sides are hurting from the cackling. After a while, we finally stop giggling and swim to the edge._

_My clothes are instantly dry as I come out of the water. I turn to ask him why that is, but I'm not looking at a boy anymore. It's a stag. Not just a stag…the most beautiful creature I've ever seen. I reach out to touch it, but it runs away. I try to catch it, running at full speed in its direction. I chase it until I'm out of breath. _

_"Don't leave!" I plead as it dashes out of sight. I finally stop running and stare where it disappeared through the horizon. I wish that it would come back._

_Before I can wonder where the messy-haired boy went, I am knocked forward. I fall, quite ungracefully, on my face. Now I'm glad that he wasn't here to see that. Falling on my face tends to be embarrassing when I'm with that boy. An evil laugh interrupts my thoughts. My attention is pulled to the side where I got knocked over._

_I swing my gaze around to be locked with a pair of red eyes. Terror and anger sweep through me as I recognize who it is. Voldemort. He he. That is a really funny name. I wonder why he wanted to be known as Voldemort. Why not, Bob Casey _(A/N: I'm typing this in Civics now. We're discussing the upcoming elections)_. Or maybe Brad Pitt! That would be hilarious!_

_"Hello, Lilydear," he hisses, once again interrupting my funny thoughts. I laugh as I recognize one of a certain boy's pet names for me. My laughter, though, makes him angry._

_"What is so funny?"_

_"Your face," I chuckle. I'm having way too much fun with this._

_"You'll be sorry you said that," Voldemort glares at me. He looks really silly when he's trying to be intimidating. I wonder why I'm not afraid anymore? Oh, well!_

_"I don't think so," I smartly reply. He whips out his wand, but I'm faster (I'm just quick like that!). I yell a number of spells at once before he can react. He immediately flips over, hanging upside-down in the air. His cloak drapes down to reveal a pair of red and white-hearted underwear. I don't think I've ever laughed harder in my life._

_"Moldy Voldy, what have we here?" I manage to say between laughing spasms._

_"You'll pay for this, mudblood!" he yells in anger, still upside-down._

_"Okay, sure," I reply sarcastically. With a flick of my wand, Voldemort turns into a pink unicorn and gallops away. _

_"Now that was a good time!" I shout to myself with an evil smile. I spin around in circles, twirling and dancing. The bright golds and blues loose their punch until I'm surrounded my blackness…_

I wake up out of my dream with a huge grin on my face. I can't believe I turned Voldemort into a unicorn. No, a _pink_ unicorn. That was too good!

Wait a second. Why can't I move my hand?

I glance down to see a large, strong hand holding mine. Who's holding my hand? Why is there black hair in my face? Is someone's _head _resting on _my _head? It could only be one person…black hair…Quidditch hands…POTTER!

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

A/N: I really like ending chapters with screams. I don't know why. I'm weird like that. Anywho, do you guys think that my chapters are too short? If you do, I'll try to make the next one longer. Tell me what'cha think!!!!


	5. Chatting Notebooks

A/N: I'm so sorry about the long wait. I had this chapter done before I posted the last one, but I was going to wait to post this one until I wrote chappie 6. I'm having serious issues with chappie 6, so here's chappie 5!

Hey, do you guys like the song True by Ryan Cabrera? Sorry for the randomness, but it's stuck in my head right now. I like it!, but it's making it kinda hard to concentrate…

Muchas gracias para mi reviewers (spanglish rules!). Sorry if that doesn't make any sense, my Spanish class is so boring (princesskiri14, ya know what I'm talking about). Blame my teacher. So, on with chapter 5!!!

Disclaimer: This may come as a shock, but I am not JK Rowling. I know, I was surprised too!

**Chapter 5**: Chatting Notebooks

"POTTER!" I scream at the now awake boy beside me. Seriously, how could anyone sleep through all of the noise I'm making? Bugger. Realizing this, I know that every single bloody passenger on this plane is awake and probably listening to me. Whatever. I'll give them a good show.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" I yell at him. I thought he was more of a gentleman to make a move on me _when I'm unconscious_.

"I thought you were more of a gentleman to make a move on me _when I'm unconscious._" Whoa. Talk about extreme déjà vu. Did I say that twice, or think it once then say it again?…Did I even say it out loud?…I'm so confused. I'm one of those people who can't concentrate as soon as they wake up. Really. That's why I scheduled History of Magic first period. I think it's a disease, or something. The not-thinking-once-waking-up thing. I should call it something…EMD (Evans Morning Disorder). But what if EMD is already taken for some name? Then what…?

Wow. I'm even confusing myself in my own thoughts. I need help.

Naturally, after my rambling thoughts, I forget what just happened. I look over at James, I mean Potter, and see him kinda dazed. Oh yeah, I was yelling at him. That's always fun. Whoa. I did _not_ just think that. I hate Potter. I hate talking to him. I hate interacting with him. I hate yelling at him. Sorry, I was temporarily possessed. There, that's better. Anywho, back to Potter.

"Well?"

Potter takes a deep breath before starting. "You fell asleep on my shoulder. You looked exhausted before, from all the yelling I guess, so I didn't want to wake you. I guess I fell asleep, and we ended up like this."

"How am I supposed to believe you?" I inquire tactfully. He could've just-

"I saw the whole thing, honey," Kristen says with a sweet smile. "He's telling the truth."

Well, I guess it was an accident. But I won't forgive him, so I just say, "Whatever," and continue to read my muggle book from where I left off.

"You don't trust me?" I hear Potter whisper. I don't know if he wanted me to answer, so I pretended to not hear him. The truth is, I feel bad now. I guess that must've hurt him. There was so much pain in that whispered statement.

The thing is, I really do trust him. Too much, I think. That scares me.

"How long was I asleep?" I calmly ask him.

"If I told you, would you actually trust me to give you the truth?" he cynically replies. Ok, Mr. Grumpy Pants Potter is starting to annoy me.

"Kristen, how long was I asleep?" I don't directly at him, but I can see Potter flinch. I might as well have punched him in the nose. It probably would've hurt about the same (and I can punch pretty hard—don't ask).

"About three hours. We've got about six hours until we land in California," she informs, twirling a piece of her blonde hair.

"Thanks, Kristen," I say, continuing to read. But I can't concentrate. Too many thoughts are running through my head. I really need a friend right now.

_Aha! I'll use my notebook!_ I brilliantly think to myself as I start digging through my bag. I quickly find what I'm looking for: a bright pink notebook with a bunch of illegible scribbles on the front. Afhton went kinda crazy when she gave this to me. She has one exactly like it, so we can chat. They're _special_ notebooks. I forget what Affie called them, but when one person writes in it, it appears in the other's book. So you can pass notes without actually _passing notes._ Cool, huh? (A/N: Lilybold, Afhtonitalics)

**Af, are you there?**

_No._

**Ha ha. Very funny (note the sarcasm).**

_I know. So, what's going on? Have you landed yet?_

**No. I'm still on the plane. You'll never guess what happened.**

_Ooo, Harrison Ford is on your plane! _(A/N: Ford was supposed to be Orlando Bloom, but princesskiri14 pointed out that he wouldn't be famous yet(or even born!). Boo hoo.)

**No, this is a bad thing.**

_Mmmm, you've crashed and your ghost is talking with me?_

_  
_**Nope.**

_I got it! McGonagall is sitting next to you!_

**You're getting closer…**

_Oh ma gawd. It's him?_

**Sadly, yes.**

_…_

_…_

_…_

**Affie?**

_I am sooooooo glad that I'm not on that plane with you!_

**Thanks a lot.**

_You're welcome!_

**Hon, that was sarcasm.**

_…I knew that! So, bring me up to speed._

**Ok, so I take my seat, and Potter shows up. He acts all 'friendly' and offers to get his seat switched. But since I'm too nice, I said that he didn't have to. Argh!**

_Yeah, you could've avoided this whole thing…_

**Shut up. Anyway, we actually talked for a little bit without killing each other.**

_I don't believe you._

**I know you don't. I didn't believe myself either. Well, then he actually started to apologize for everything.**

_No!_

**Yes. So, he apologized for everything, including showing my diary to the whole school, but then he started laughing about it.**

_Oh no he didn't!_

**Oh yes he did. Naturally, I freaked out at him. Yelling, screaming, slapping…**

_You slapped him! Way to go, Lily! I wish I was there for that._

**It'll probably happen some time next year. And remember fifth year?**

_Oh yeah…you hit him really hard!_

**Well, he deserved it. Back to the story. You'll never guess what he did after I finished yelling.**

_He asked you out again, didn't he?_

**Geesh, you know me too well. Well, yep. He did. We've been at war ever since.**

_Wow. I'm surprised you haven't gone crazy yet._

**Well, I'm pretty close to loosing it. **

_How many times have you imagined hexing him to Canada?_

I laugh, remembering my conversation with Kristen about Canada (and other things). I can't help myself but to dream of Potter hanging upside down in the aisle, in his underwear. Oh yeah, he'd have pink hair too. He he he.

**Counting just now, only twice.**

_Wow. You're surprising me. I think a change of subject is in order before you chuck this notebook out of the window._

**Don't give me ideas…**

_So, where are you staying in California?_

**My mum and dad rented a little house on the beach in a place called Carmel **(A/N: I got this from the Mediator series by Meg Cabot. Good books. I'd recommend them. I'm basing that place off of Carmel in that series. It's actually a real place tho…)**. It's right on the beach. I can go whenever I want. I'm so excited!**

_Wow. Lucky. I wish that I could do something now. It's raining._

**Gasp!**

_Shut up. I wanna go outside with Bay _(Bayleigh is Afhton's younger sister. She'll be in fourth year) _and…well I dunno…_do _something._

**I know what you mean. I've been sitting down for about four hours now, with another six to go. And I have to sit next to—**

_No! Don't say his name! Subject change, remember?_

**Right. Hey, are you and Chris still going out? Has he called you yet?**

_Rrrrrrrrr._

**I'll take that as a 'no'.**

_Ya got that right. Right after you left the station, I saw that slimy git sucking the face off of some Hufflepuff._

**Hon, I'm so sorry I wasn't there. We would've kicked his sorry butt all the way to Canada! **

What's with all of this Canada stuff? I think to myself. I've never had anything against Canadians before. I've never even been to Canada before. Hmm, Affie and I will have to change that sometime…

_Yeah, I know that. I was never really into him, though. I didn't really care. By the way, I just called him. I was all, "I think we should break up. You're not manly enough for me. I need someone better." I didn't even talk about the Hufflepuff. Neither did he. _I _broke up with _him.

**Good for you!**

_Yep, and now I'm single for the summer!_

**You know it, babe. Omg! I almost forgot! I need to talk to you about something.**

_Well…what are you waiting for? I'm already talking to you! I don't know how you're the best in our year (well, besides a certain someone that I'm not talking about). You have your moments—_

**Shut up. Anyway, sitting next to _him _is this one girl. Kristen. She's acting really odd towards Po—I mean _him._ **

_Go on._

**She let _him_ call her 'mommy' after we were fighting. She didn't react to that at all, like she's used to it. And she keeps smirking like she knows something that I don't.**

_That sounds like someone…I can't figure out who, though. _

**I know! She seems really familiar, but I—I don't know. **

_I know what you mean. I'll think about it._

**Thanks. So, do you think that I'll make Head Girl next year?**

_Is that a trick question?_

**Uh, no.**

_Of course you will! You're perfect for the job! I mean, who else could be picked as Head Girl besides Lily Evans?_

**Stop, you flatter me too much.**

_But what about Head Boy?_

**I don't know, that's tough. As long as he's not a Slytherin, I really don't care.**

_Well that's good. _

**I can't believe that we're almost in our seventh year.**

_I know! I still feel like it's my first time leaving Hogwarts for the summer. _

**Yeah. Have you been thinking about what you want to do once we're done with school?**

_Not too much. You?_

**I want to be a Healer. I have always wanted that.**

_How could I forget? You'll make a great Healer._

**Damn straight.**

_Lily!_

**Geesh, I was just kidding! Don't have a heart attack!**

_You'd have to fly all the way back to London and take care of me, Madame Evans._

**I wouldn't mind that too much. I would get to see you, and get away from _him._**

_Don't think that! I would feel terrible about ruining your vacation._

**It's already off to a bad start.**

_It'll get better. I promise._

**Thanks. I hope you're right.**

_I always am!_

**Ok, whatever you-- **

"Ooo, Lilypop, what is this? A diary?" Potter squeals in delight after snatching my notebook away from me.

"No, genius, it's just a notebook," I cynically reply. He just interrupted my conversation. He's goin' down!

"You think I'm a genius! I never thought you would—"

"Moron, that was sarcasm." I want my notebook back. That's my only connection to my best friend (her family doesn't have phones, and owls take forever. Oh yeah, I don't have one, either). I quickly look around to see if there are any weapons that I could use against Potter. Aha! I see it: the notebook that he was writing in earlier. I swiftly seize the small book and hold it tightly.

"Give that back!" Potter commands.

"What do you say?" I mock. I'll give him a little taste of his own medicine!

"Please give—" he starts.

"No!" I interrupt with a smirk.

"Fine," Potter admits, "I guess I'll have to read it, then." He really thinks it's a diary. I stopped writing in one after a certain incident with a certain git. Really don't care if he reads it.

He opens the front cover as I threaten, "I don't care if you read it. But if you do, I might as well read yours…"

"No!" he pleads as I open the front page. He makes a grab for it, but it's too late. What I read makes me freeze in surprise.

A/N: Ooo, a cliffy!!!! What is in that notebook? I'll be honest, I have no idea what is going to be in the notebook. That's where my issues are coming from. Any ideas???

Oh yeah, I'm really really really sorry about the wait. I'll try to update faster this time. REVIEW! (please)


	6. Terror Trolleys and Laugh Attacks

A/N: Sorry about that cliffy. I felt really bad doing that to you all. I hope you like what is in that notebook…

I just realized that Lily could not have been listening to the Red Hot Chili Peppers…They weren't famous back then…Oops…oh well! Let's just pretend they were, ok?

Also, a quick…uh…write-out to Starlight Shimmer- you have great ideas for the notebook. I probably would've used them, but I already had this chappie written and I am too lazy to redo it. Thanks for your suggestions tho!

Disclaimer- If you think I own this in any way, you must be completely bonkers. But I appreciate that you think I could be _the_ JK Rowling (if you actually do…).

**Chapter 6**: Terror Trolleys and Laugh Attacks

Me.

It's me.

In the notebook.

A sketch of me. Lily.

No, that's not right. It is not just a sketch. It's the most beautiful drawing I've ever seen. Ever. And it is of _me._

I'm sitting by my favorite tree overlooking the lake. In my hands is my favorite book. He even noticed the title. I guess I didn't realize that he was watching me. That makes sense; I always leave Hogwarts (mentally) when I read.

It was from last fall. The leaves from the trees are falling around me. Some are even floating on my hair. I look so peaceful. I never noticed how calm I am when I read. What startles me most is this:

I look beautiful. That's the first time I ever thought of myself as pretty. When he drew me through his eyes. My whole being is filled with emotion at this thought.

I let out the breath that I didn't know I was holding. I tear my eyes off of the picture.

James is avoiding my gaze. He's looking everywhere but at me. I guess he never intended to show me his notebook. That's understandable. It's like a diary, sort of.

Bugger. I suddenly feel terrible. He must be so embarrassed, like how I felt when he displayed my diary. I would try to cheer him up, but I'm having trouble bringing air into my lungs. I have to concentrate to breathe.

"It's beautiful, James," I whisper to him. It's all I can manage. He still avoids me, so I look back at the book.

Flipping the pages, I see a bunch of different sketches. Some are of me, others are of lilies. There's even one of a snitch! I swear that boy will die on his broom, playing Quidditch (A/N: we know better).

Looking further in the notebook, I see that there are poems in it, too. I feel bad about reading all of them. I don't want to expose him like that. So I just read the last one that he was working on during the flight. (A/N: it was really hard writing a poem for this. Tell what'cha think of my awesome poetry skills)

Your laugh is like music to my ears

I could listen to it for all my years

When I'm with you, all the wrong words rhyme

But I'm running out of time

To make you see

To make you know

All the lengths that I would go

To make you realize

That you belong with me

Don't want to leave

Don't want to hide

'Cause I know down deep inside

That you will realize

That you belong with me

As I finish reading it, I feel a single tear slide down my cheek. That is the most beautiful poem I've ever read in my life. It has so much meaning in it. I wonder if it's about me…(A/N: come on Lily! How thick can you get? Of course it's about you!!!)

"Uhh, Lily?" James asked tentatively, forcing himself to look at me.

"Yeah?" I shyly reply. I hope he's not mad at me.

"Here's your notebook," he says, handing me my notebook. He sighs and adds, "Sorry."

I silently hand his back to him. I try to say something, but words don't form in my mouth. My mind is reeling from that poem. I didn't know that James was that…I don't know…poetic (for lack of a better adjective). He's also sensitive. I never knew that about him. I just assumed that he was an all-macho guy. I need to think.

I pull out my headphones and put on some music.

I feel a small, soft item hit my head. I look down to see a crumpled piece of paper in my lap. I open it and read:

_Say something, you idiot!_

I turn my head to see Kristen glaring at me. What's her problem? Why does she care so much?

**Why do you care?** I write back. I wonder how James isn't noticing this… He's staring at his fingers, completely dazed. He's really out of it.

_I don't care, but he obviously does! Say something!_

I think for a while before answering. Kristen has only known James for a few hours, and she can tell that he cares for me. I wonder if I was the only person who couldn't.

**What should I say?**

Kristen visibly relaxes. I guess she's decided to play matchmaker.

_Say, "James, I think you're a sexy beast."_

Huh? That sounds a lot like…oh my God! She sounds like Sirius Black! Sirius Black!!! I'm sitting next to the female version of Sirius Black! Well, isn't my luck just brilliant (note the sarcasm)!

**Do you know Sirius Black?**

I look over to see her reaction as she reads this. She just laughs a little and smirks. Yep. Definitely the female Sirius Black. Scary.

_What a weird name! No, I don't know any Sirius Black._

I can tell she's lying. She must know him. I'm about to ask her about it, but James suddenly stands up.

"Where are you going?" I ask him as he squeezes past Kristen.

"Loo," he replies, running a hand through his hair, not even turning his head to look at me (A/N: I said loo! I'm not British, but I really wish that I were. Tell me if I say anything that doesn't make any sense. Oh yeah, I'm not Canadian either. I just love moose!) Well, that's reasonable. You have to go sometime.

I decide to pull out my music, after glaring long and hard at Kristen. She should stay out of this. James's notebook was probably just a joke; he can't be that serious about me. He's just an immature prat.

I zone out and stare at the clouds with music pounding in my ears. A while later, a flight attendant comes down the aisle and asks if I want anything to drink. I don't hear her until Kristen whacks my arm. I turn my head and notice something:

James hasn't come back yet.

That's odd…he went to the bathroom a half an hour ago. I wonder why he isn't back yet.

I get a water bottle from the attendant and she continues down the hall. I think I should check on James, but I'm not sure. What if he's just…sick or something? Or maybe he's avoiding me. Or he ran into Voldemort on the plane and he's dead! Not good!

Great, now I have to check on him. Stupid caring.

"Where are you going?" Kristen asks me as I get up. "Where ever you're going, you might wanna check on James. He's been gone a long time."

I just mumble in agreement as I head to the aisle. The attendant's trolley is in my way, so it takes a while to get to the bathrooms. There are three to choose from. I knock on one door, and a lady answers. Not James. I knock of the second one, and nothing happens. I open the door. Not James.

I knock on the last door, and a familiar voice answers.

"There's somebody in here," the voice calls.

"James? Are you in there?" I ask. I would just open the door, but that could lead to very embarrassing situations. It's best to avoid those…

I hear a lot of cursing coming from inside the bathroom. He doesn't answer though.

"Come on, James! Open the door!" My patience is zooming down the toilet. I'm just trying to be nice, for Merlin's sake!

He still doesn't answer. Well, good thing I'm a witch.

I'm about to charm the door open, after checking that no one's looking. But it opens on its own.

"Lily, I'm—" James starts. He could have said so many things just then.

-I'm sorry

-I'm gay (A/N: I know, scary!)

-I'm in love with Kristen

-I'm dead

I guess I'll never know what he was going to say. At that exact moment, my favorite flight attendant knocks the trolley into my backside, sending me flying into the loo. I hit James and sent him backwards. The "terror trolley" hits the door at the perfect angle that sends it closed. Judging by the hollering going on outside the door, the attendant can't move it.

And that's how we get stuck.

"Uhh, I think we're stuck in here," James says matter-of-factly.

I'm about to say some sarcastic comment about how slow you'd have to be to say that, but I don't. I really do not want to be stuck screaming in the bathroom. I don't wanna have to kill someone…_cough_POTTER_cough._

I look at James. The bathroom is pretty small, so we're standing close together. He still won't meet my gaze. Really, am I that intimidating?

"So," I start tentatively, "what were ya doing in here for so long?"

"Um…" he stumbles.

"Come on, I won't laugh." I know that he wasn't sick, so he must have been avoiding me.

"The truth?" he asks nervously.

I nod my head.

"I was kinda avoiding you," he admits.

"Really now. Why would you do that?" I ponder pretending to be clueless.

"Well," he says, finally looking at me, "you saw my notebook."

"Tell me something I don't know," I laugh slightly whacking his arm.

"I was embarrassed," James says, blushing. He looks really cute when he blushes.

"You know, I was embarrassed when you showed my diary to the whole school."

James immediately drops his gaze to the floor. He appears to be really ashamed of himself. I guess he knows what I was feeling then. That was not a good feeling. He should be sorry.

"Lily," he says, finally looking up. His hazel eyes bore into mine, and I find I can't look away.

"Yeah?"

"I'm really sorry. Really, I'm really sorry. I know I tried to apologize before, but now, I truly am really, really sorry. I really hope you'll forgive me," he says, pleading with his eyes.

"Ya know," I snicker, "you said 'really' about six times." I try to contain my giggles, but the look on his face cracks me. He looks so weird. Kind of…shocked and delirious. He looks crazy!

As a result, I end up rolling on the floor with laughter. As I try to stop, I see his face again, sending me back on the floor. My sides start to hurt from all my howls. James must think I'm crazy. So I finally stop and sit up. James is just staring at me. He still looks psycho. I try harder this time to evade laugh attacks.

"What?" I ask, out of breath.

"You really don't mind?" he wonders.

"I know how you feel. I guess I feel bad that I exposed you like that, 'cause I know how that can be," I explain.

James thinks for a while before saying, "Do you think that we could forget everything? You know, the notebook part?"

"Sure," I reply without hesitation. "So, how are we going to get out of here?"

"Who says we have to leave?"  
"Uh, I do."

"Well, I have my wand, but those muggles are probably trying to get us out. I don't want to expose the magic…"

He's right. They're right on the other side of the door. We can't show our magic. We'll have to wait. This could take forever. Brilliant.

A/N: So, they're stuck in a bathroom… What will happen? Will the friendliness continue? Is James really gay? (Just so ya know, he's not. That would be really bad. James gay?!? Never!) You know what to do! (Wait, in case you don't…REVIEW!!!!!)

Oh yeah, check out my totally awesome one-shot called **I'll Catch You When You Fall**. It's totally awesome and filled with righteousness. Check it out!


	7. The Bathroom Game

A/N: Sorry for the wait again, but I was away. In Atlanta!!!!! I had so much fun, but there was little time to write…yeah.

Oh yeah! Afhton is really my cousin who lives in Atlanta. That's who I was visiting while I was there. We had sooo much fun… I guess you don't wanna hear about that, so here's chapter 7 (wow, 7 chappies… that is almost 10! Coolness!).

Disclaimer: Me not JK. Me not own anything.

**Chapter 7: **The Bathroom Game

"So," James starts as we wait in the bathroom, "what's up?"

I look up at him. I'm sitting cross-legged on the floor, trying to ignore how dirty it probably is. He's standing casually against the wall. The bathroom's small, so we're really close to each other. We've been in here for about five minutes, but neither of us can think of anything to do, or to say. What fun.

"I'm stuck in a bathroom," I reply. I'm so bored!

"Really? How did that happen?" he inquires, playing along.

"I came to see what was up with you, and that trolley knocked me in," I snap. "So, this is your fault."

"Is not! If you weren't so caring, you wouldn't have come to see if I was okay," he points out, smirking. He didn't notice the complement. Neither did I.

"If you weren't so girly and embarrassed, I wouldn't have cared! That's right, I said it! Girly!" I gloat. I hope he knows that I'm kidding. James is anything but girly.

"Well, if you didn't steal my notebook, I wouldn't have been embarrassed!"

"You took my notebook in the first place!"

"So?"

"I took yours to get my notebook back!"

"I wouldn't have taken your notebook if you didn't look so…interested in the notebook!"

"So it's Afhton's fault!"

"Yeah! Wait…wha?" James looks really confused. Well, I'll explain for him.

"Af got me a notebook. When I write something in it, it will show up in her notebook. So we can talk to each other. I was chatting with Afhton when you stole it. If Af wasn't talking to me, then you wouldn't have seen me interested in the notebook, so you wouldn't have taken it, so I wouldn't have taken yours and read it, so you wouldn't have been embarrassed and left to the bathroom, and I wouldn't have followed you, so we wouldn't have been in this mess!" Wow. That's confusing. Huh.

"Yeah," James says sarcastically, "that makes perfect sense."

"It does!" I whine. My logic is flawless. Completely flawless. Well, if it was flawless, I guess I wouldn't be in this mess… It is almost flawless.

"So, it's Afhton's fault," James verifies.

"Yup."

No that my crazy ramble is done, I go back to staring at the floor. In about five seconds, I can't take it anymore.

"Ah, I'm so bored!"

"Let's do something then," James states.

"Like what?"

"How about we take turns asking each other questions," he suggests.

I'm reluctant to play this "game" of sorts, but I agree. It's something to do.

"Ladies first," James says, nudging me with his elbow. He's now sitting in front of me, also cross-legged.

"Okay." I pause, thinking of a good question. "Who's your best friend?"

"Sirius. Yours?"  
"Afhton. Favorite color?"

"Green." Before I can wonder why that is, he asks me, "What is your favorite food?"

"Anything chocolate." It's true. I'd do anything for chocolate. Including murder. That's right, give me chocolate, and I'm gone. Muahahaha!

"Best vacation?" he asks.

"When I went to Atlanta in the States to visit my cousins. We had a lot of fun together. What was the worst vacation you've been on?"

"When Sirius and I went to Disney World. We terrorized Mickey Mouse and got kicked out of the park. We spent the whole day in the parking lot."

The questioning continues for about thirty minutes. I'm surprised at how easily we can talk about stuff. It's really weird. Over time, the answers get longer. For some questions, I have to launch into a long story to answer it. For some, James has to explain stories.

"…And my mum threw the plate of pasta at Padfoot's face! She actually hit him in the face with a bowl of pasta! That was hilarious!" It takes me a while to realize who Padfoot is. I remember that James calls Sirius "Padfoot" and Sirius calls James "Prongs." I don't know why. I don't think I want to know why.

Thinking back, I don't remember what the question was. James has been talking forever. It's like he's in his own world when he tells about his family and friends. It's kinda cute.

What a second. Did I just think _cute_?

"What was the most embarrassing thing you've been through?" James's question breaks through my thoughts. I think a while before answering.

"You know the answer to that question," I remind him. I don't want to bring up diaries again.

"Yeah," he whispers, thinking. "How about the second most embarrassing thing?"

I rack my brain to find an embarrassing moment. In a few seconds, I remember a prank that Afhton pulled on me.

"Last year, Afhton put a charm on me that made me sing to my Jell-O at dinner in front of everyone. That was pretty embarrassing," I sigh, remembering the incident.

James looks puzzled, then he breaks out in fits of laughter. "Oh yeah," he says, "I remember that. You have a really good singing voice."

"Thanks," I mutter back without thinking.

"Why did she do that to you?"

"I don't know. We randomly prank each other sometimes. No serious stuff, though. We'll save that for Sirius," I laugh.

"Okay, your turn for a question," James states.

"Actually, I get two in a row."

"No you don't!"

"You just asked me two!"

"No I didn't!"

"Yeah, the 'what's you second most embarrassing moment?' and 'why did she do that to you?' That's two," I point out, satisfied.

"Fine," he says, turning his head away, fake pouting.

"Why does Sirius call you Prongs?" I inquire, suddenly remembering his Marauder names.

"I can't tell you that," he says, looking away again.

"Why not?"

"I promised my friend," he simply states.

"Which friend?" I ask, completely interested.

"Hey, that's two questions already. It's my turn," James boasts. He asks me a pointless question, and I give a pointless answer. Then, he gets serious (no pun intended).

"Who gave you your first kiss?" he asks smiling. I'm hesitant to answer. It's kinda embarrassing.

"Well…um…I sorta haven't been kissed yet." I look down the floor in shame. I know that he's going to make fun of me. I mean, come on. I hear James is the "best snogger in Hogwarts." I just stare at the ground and wait for it.

Nothing happens.

"Aren't you going to say something?" I ask, finally looking up. He just shrugs his shoulders as if it doesn't matter. Then he looks deep into my eyes. I find I can't look away. He breaks gaze first.

"So. It's my turn now," he points out.

"Is not!" It is definitely not his turn.

"Yeah it is," he says matter-of-factly. "You just asked, 'Aren't you going to say something?' That counts as a question."

"Fine," I mutter, put out.

"Okay, I was wondering about this. If a person is allergic to eggs, how come he/she isn't allergic to chicken?" He stares at me with a puzzled look on his face. I think about his question for a bit. Then, it hits me.

"HAH!!!!" I scream. That is so random! Even though the floors are probably crawling with dirt, I roll around with fits of giggles anyway. I can't help myself. Then James starts to laugh too. After a long time of cracking up, we finally stop. James goes to stand up, but he hits his head on the paper towel dispenser.

"Ouch," he mumbles, rubbing his head. When he finally removes his hand, I see a large piece of his messy black hair sticking up oddly. It sets me off again.

"What's so funny?" he asks, blushing slightly.

"Y-your ha-air," I manage to get out between laughs. He walks the whole two-stride distance to get to the mirror. He sees himself, and laughs with me. He really does look ridiculous.

We finally stop, and I ask a question. "Do you like cheese?" (A/N: She's the Man all the way! I love that movie!!!!! If you haven't seen it, stop reading and go watch it right now… Actually, finish the chapter first:D)

We continue taking turns until we hear someone call from outside the door.

"We've almost got you out!" the voice calls. Surprisingly, I'm not relieved. I've actually enjoyed talking with James.

"What do you wish for the most?" I ask James since it is my turn.

He ponders for a while before answering. "I wish that the girl I like would give me a chance," he whispers, looking straight into my eyes. I find I can't look away (again). I'm positive now that he's talking about me (A/N: took ya long enough!).

"Would you be mad if I kissed you right now?" he asks, moving towards me.

I don't get to answer. I've decided to give him a chance. I lean towards him and close my eyes. We're inches apart; I can feel his warm breath against my face. I feel I can almost taste his lips…

And that's when the door bursts open.

What have I done in a past life to deserve this kind of pain? Honestly!

We spring apart in surprise. We both turn towards the people standing outside the door. The flight attendant is there, along with Kristen and some other people that I don't know. Great. This looks really bad. I bet they think that we were snogging this whole time.

"We'll just leave you two alone," Kristen says with a smirk as she closes the door. Yup. They think we were snogging.

_Well, almost,_ I think to myself. Then the shock hits me. I'm stunned. I can feel the color flood to my face, even though I'm alone with James again. I think he's in shock too. We just stand there for a while. After a long time (though probably only a few seconds), James talks.

"Well, that was awkward."  
"Yep."

"Why are we still here?"

"I don't know." With that, we open the door and step out into the aisle. Everyone is gone now. Thankfully.

A/N: sorry for the shortness. I really wanted to post since I haven't in a while… Sorry about that. The vacation Lily was talking about is the vacation I just got back from. I had so much fun! And I saw the hottest guy in the world. He was wearing a black hat. He looks like how I picture James. I'll try to post soon, but I haven't started the next chapter yet. REVIEW!!!! (And I'll write faster. Hehehe).


	8. More Screaming

A/N: CONGRADULATIONS XO-MIDNIGHTSUN-OX! My 100th reviewer!!!! Yay! 100 reviews! Wow… that makes me happy happy happy!!!

Sorry about the really really really late update. I've been extremely busy lately with Christmas shopping, decorating, crazy school stuff, dances… you get the picture. Sorry again.

Disclaimer: This is not mine in any way, shape, or form.

**Chapter 8**: More Screaming

We make it back to our seats without anything drastic happening. I don't know what I am expecting. A loud, booming voice calling us out. People snickering as we pass. I don't know.

But none of that happens. We just sit down and try to hide our red faces.

I sigh and bang my head against the window. Why does my vacation have to be so complicated? It hasn't even started yet! What have I done wrong?

I grunt and bang my head again. I can hear James suddenly straighten in his chair, obviously worried. I raise my hand and wave him off. I really need to think.

I almost kissed James Potter. I almost kissed him. James Potter.

I should be mad that he would try something like that on me. I should be mad. I should be yelling at him right now.

But I'm not.

I think that I'm disappointed.

Wait a sec. Why am I disappointed? It's not like I actually wanted to kiss him...

Holy cow.

I think I actually wanted to kiss him. I wanted to kiss James Potter.

What is happening to me?

"Are you alright, Lily?" James asks me, noticing that something is up.

"Yeah," I reply, dazed, "I think I'm okay." He smiles and turns back to his book. His notebook. I smile to myself remembering all of the trouble that little book has caused.

Kristen suddenly coughs violently from beside James. I look over to her, and she gazes at me with questioning eyes. I offer a puzzled look, and she silently nods her head towards James.

Oh. She wants to know what happened.

"Nothing," I mouth to her. She smirks back. Kristen obviously doesn't believe me. Tough. She shouldn't care. It's not like we're ever going to see her again.

Time passes quickly after that. I find that I can't stop thinking about James. The more I think about him, the more I wish that he would have kissed me. That the door could've been stuck for a few more seconds.

Within the next hour, we land. It takes me by surprise, and I jump when the pilot says for us to have a nice stay in California. I just realize something:

I won't see James again for a whole summer.

What if I don't like him anymore by the end of summer?

What if he doesn't like me anymore?

What if he dies?

What if I never see him again?

In my panic, I forget something. I'm in California. California. The vacation that I've been waiting for all year has finally arrived. So what if James isn't here with me. I can handle that. I don't really like him that much anyway…

Whoa. Epiphany: I really do like him. I guess I figured that out without really knowing. I like James Potter.

I really have to stop lying to myself in my thoughts. My life is confusing as it is.

"Are you coming, Lily?" James asks, standing above me. I look around and see that we're the only people left on the plane. Oops. I guess I kinda got carried away.

"Yeah." I scramble up and grab my carry-on bags. I have everything… except my jacket. Where is it? … Brilliant. It's under the seat.

I put my bags on the chair and crouch down to grab my coat. I look under the seat only to find a crumpled candy rapper, half of a cookie, and a condom (Eww! Gross!). One thing is missing. My jacket.

"Lily." I look up from the floor. James stands above me, holding my one-and-only jacket.

"Thanks," I mumble as my face heats up. I grab it along with my bags. I need to get off of this plane. I hurry to get out into the aisle. In my haste, I trip over the edge of a seat. I fall, with a lack of grace, straight into James's chest. Brilliant.

"Sorry!" I exclaim as I put my hands on his shoulders and prop myself up. James straightens himself up and flashed me a smile while messing up his hair.

"No problem. Want some help with those bags?" he inquires, completely serious.

"No, that's alright," I try to tell him, but he takes them anyway. I just have to carry my jacket. Grrr. Stupid jacket.

Wow, he's really strong. (Well, that came out of nowhere.) I had some serious issues carrying those bags. James lifts them like they're feathers. _And_ he has his own bags. Quidditch really has done him good…

I catch myself before I start drooling. _Don't think about him!_ I tell myself. _Don't think about him!_

We finally make it off of the "Plane of Impending Doom" as I have dubbed it. Words can't explain how happy I am to be able to walk again.

The two of us stroll down the passageway connecting the plane to the terminal in silence. Complete silence. I stare at the green and red tiled carpet as we walk along. I want to say something, but what?

'Oh, and James? Being stuck in an airplane bathroom with you has made me realize something. I really like you!'

I can't say that! (A/N: lily was thinking of saying that. she really didn't. sorry if that was confusing).

"So, where are you staying in California?" James asks, budding into my thoughts. Wait, why does he want to know that? Is he going to visit?!? I'll see him over the summer! We could walk on the beach, and hold hands, and talk for hours, and-

I realize he's still waiting for my answer as I ramble on in my thoughts. Wait, what did he ask again?

I open my mouth to say something when a familiar voice shouts in front of me.

"LILY!!!!!!" my mum squeals in delight. I guess James and I got to the end of the hall without me even noticing. I need to be more observant.

The terminal is crowded with many people walking around. I spot a familiar shade of red hair off to the side. I hurry over there, and throw my arms around my mother's neck.

"Mum!" I cry, completely happy. The one thing that I don't like about Hogwarts is being away from my family (I'm not counting Petunia as family). I miss my parents so much.

Mum steps back and takes a look at me. "You've grown up so much!"

"Mum, it's only been a few months," I remind her.

"I know, but-" She stops mid-sentence and looks over my shoulder. I turn. James is standing awkwardly behind me, still holding my bags. Whoops. I guess I forgot about him. And he's still holding the bags. He must really be strong!

"Who's this?" Mum asks me, silently winking.

James steps forward (_still_ holding the bags). "My name is James Potter, ma'am. I'm a friend of Lily's from school." He glances down at the luggage in his arms. "I'd shake you hand, but my hands are a little full at the moment," he shrugs, laughing.

"Oh, it's lovely to meet you," Mum smiles. "Oh, you didn't have to carry those bags. They must weigh a ton!"

"No, it's alright Mrs. Evans," James replies politely. This is _not_ how I picture James acting when he met my mum. Wait, I've never pictured James meeting my mum! Stupid thoughts…

"Please call me Rose," Mum sweetly says. My mum has a thing for flowers. Rose. Lily. Petunia. See a pattern here?

"Well, _Rose_, it was a great surprise to see Lily here on the plane," James says, making small talk.

"I'm sure she wasn't expecting to see you there either! What a coincidence!" Mum exclaims, clasping her hands together.

_Yeah,_ I think since the new best friends chatter away, _those darn coincidences._

They chat on for a few minutes, and I have time to breathe. I wonder what the ocean looks like. Well, I've been to an ocean before, but never to the west coast of the United States. I hope it's…well, perfect!

"I'd better go and find my family now. It was nice to meet you," he says, setting the bags down on the floor. I decide to pay attention now.

"You too!" Mum calls. He starts to head off as my mum shoves me towards him. "Say goodbye!" she whispers, giving me a weird look that I can't interpret.

"Uh, James?" I ask tentatively, stepping towards him. He turns to look right at me.

"Yeah?"

"Um… have a good summer." _Great Lily. Just great, _I scold myself silently.

"Yeah," he replies awkwardly. "You too."

He then turns to walk off. About five steps away, he suddenly stops and turns around. My heart basically stops, dead.

James strides towards me. It looks like he's thinking about something really hard. While he walks, I ponder what he could be thinking.

I wonder if she has any food…

I like her broomstick keychain. Hmm, Quidditch…

She has food stuck in her teeth…

I wonder if I'm wearing clean underwear… why am I walking this way?

I have to stop my stupid list as James reaches me. He opens his mouth to say something, then shuts it again. He does that a few more times. I inwardly laugh. He looks like a goldfish! A very cute goldfish, though.

I really need to get used to liking James.

Before I can ask him what he's doing, he leans forward and kisses me on the cheek.

"'Bye Lily," he whispers in my ear and turns to leave. He hurries away out of sight.

…

…

…

Eeeeeeee!!!

I try to remain calm and cool, but my mind is going overdrive.

He kissed me! He kissed me! He kissed ME!

I am one happy gal right now!

I start to do my happy dance (that I made up on the spot (it's a very good happy dance if I do say so myself!)) and spin around. I keep dancing and spinning for a while, but I decide to stop shortly to avoid embarrassment. I start to head back towards my mum. I turn around, the terminal spinning, and run straight into my mother.

"Ahhh!" I yelp, startled.

"Someone's awfully happy," Mum teases.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I lie, grabbing my luggage and heading towards the exit.

I love the beach! I've never been to such a peaceful place in my life! I love it!

I'm staring out through my window at the glorious area before me. The sun is setting, casting an orange glow on the shore. Seagulls caw in the distance as waves pound the sand. Everything is perfect.

I sit on my window seat and notice the small house beside mine. It looks exactly the same, just a different color. Most of the houses in this area are vacation homes to be rented over the summer. I'm assuming that is the deal with that one. I can see a figure moving around through the window, but it's too dark to see any details. I wonder who's staying there…

"Lily!" my dad calls from downstairs. I race down the stairs to see what he wants.

"Yeah dad?"

"Could you go over next door and give the family these cookies? I would like you to introduce yourself," he says, handing me a basket of cookies.

"Sure dad!" I grab the basket and skip out the door onto the beach. I stroll along, enjoying the warmth. Reaching the house, I knock on the door.

I am not prepared for what happens next.

It would be an understatement to say that I'm shocked by who answers the door.

"Ahh!" I scream in surprise as the world goes black.

A/N: So, she's in CA now. I bet it's really hard to figure out who the neighbors are…fyi, that was sarcasm. I'll try to update faster this time. Xmas break is coming, so that means lots of sleeping and writing!


	9. A Fun Day

A/N: okies, here is the infamous chapter 9. 9 is almost 10. Yay!

Thanks, as always, to all of my faithful reviewers. Luv y'all tons! (I never say y'all. That was a one-time deal).

Disclaimer: I own Afhton. That's about it. Nothing else.

Oh yeah, the big mystery about the neighbor is about to be revealed. I bet you're excited! I know I am!!!! (Sorry about it being painfully obvious)

**Chapter 9**: A Fun Day

"Lily?" a voice calls me. I feel as though I'm being pulled out of a dream. I don't want to wake up, but it's inevitable. Reluctantly, I open my eyes to find familiar ones staring back at me.

"Are you all right?" James asks me. Unsure of the answer, I sit up and look at my surroundings.

I'm laying, well, now I'm sitting, on a comfortable, fluffy couch facing a window. The room looks exactly like my vacation house's family room. It is dark outside, so I can only hear the ocean crashing.

"Lily?" James repeats, concerned.

"What happened?" I wonder out loud, remembering the past events. The cookies. The door. The face. A scream.

Actually, it was more like a yelp. A scream sounds scary. I hate scary movies.

"You fainted, Lily," says James. At this moment, I remember.

I'm at the Potter's vacation house. In California. James is my neighbor!

_What a coincidence…_

"Are you okay? Do you want anything? Water? A cookie? They're very good, by the way. Delicious. Did you make them?" James pelts the questions my way.

I'm stunned. Truly stunned. I'm still reeling over the fact that James is here with me. His onslaught of questions takes me by surprise.

"Wait, wha'?" I reply gracefully.

"Are. You. Alright?" he states slowly, pronouncing each word as if I'm deaf.

"I. Am. Okay," I smartly answer.

His face splits into a wide grin. "Good. I was really worried about you."

"I'm fine." He was worried about me!

We're silent for a few minutes, each stuck in our own thoughts. I can't believe it! James is my neighbor for a whole summer! This is brilliant!  
"What happened?" James asks, finally breaking the silence.

"Umm…" I start. Should I tell him that I fainted because I was so surprised to see him? That would be a NO. "Well, I guess the jet lag really caught up with me," I lie. I hope he believes it.

"Oh, okay."

Wow. I'm a really good liar.

"I guess I should be heading back now since it's kinda late," I hesitantly say, getting up.

"I guess you're right," James imitates, standing up beside me.

"I guess I'll have to come back tomorrow to get that basket."

"I guess you can try, but I want it."

"I guess you'll be disappointed then."

"I guess that you guess wrong."

"I guess we'll see." At this time, we reach the door. Having nothing else to say, I leap through the doorway and jog home. I sprint up the steps to get rid of my pent up energy. As I close the door to my room, I realize something:

I just flirted with James Potter.

This day has been full of realizations.

After a long day on an airplane (sitting next to James!), I finally get to sleep.

But sleep doesn't come easily. I toss and turn all night; my brain won't turn off. I can't stop thinking about tomorrow and seeing James again. How pathetic is that?

I guess I eventually drift off because the next thing I know, it's light outside. Then my mind goes into overdrive.

Is James awake yet?

Should I go over to see him?

That would seem too desperate. Should I wait? How long?

"Lily dear! It's noon! Come on, wake up!" Mum calls from downstairs.

"Coming!" I yell back. It's funny how mothers know exactly when their kids wake up. It's like magic or something. Mother magic…

I skip down the steps after throwing on some shorts and a t-shirt. I jump into the kitchen to be met with a warm aroma of deliciousness. Plopping down in a chair, I eat everything within sight.

"Hungry are we?" my dad chuckles from beside me while reading a newspaper.

"Mmmm," I mutter in reply with food in my mouth.

When I finish eating, I decide to go out to the beach. It's been too long since I've last walked through the sand on a cool morning. Grabbing my jacket (it's very windy out there), I head outside.

The calmness around me takes me by surprise. I've never been to a beach that wasn't packed with people armed with umbrellas, towels, sunscreen, and surfboards. But this quiet… It's amazing.

I stroll along parallel to the waves, drifting so my feet are occasionally sprayed with water. I make new footprints, and then watch as a new wave erases them as if I had never walked there. As I wander on, I notice something sparkle up ahead. I bend down, crouching among the waves. Digging my hand through the sand, I grasp something. It's covered in wet sand, so I can't tell what it is. I wash it in a new wave and gasp in surprise.

I hold in my hand a beautiful necklace encrusted with emeralds, glistening in the sunlight. I can't believe I found it here. No, it found me. I feel so lucky!

I walk out of the waves and lay down on the dry sand. Putting my head down, I hold the necklace above my stomach, studying its features.

"What'cha got there?" a deep voice asks me from above. It makes me jump and spring up from the ground.

"Oh, it's you James. You scared me!" I laugh, slipping the necklace into my pocket.

"Sorry about that. What were you looking at?" James inquires, tilting his head to the side.

"Nothing important. Just an old necklace that I found," I lie. I don't know why I don't want him to know how happy I am about that necklace. I feel as though it was meant for me to find. That a stronger force wanted me to get it. I can't really explain it.

"Okay. You wanna do something?" he asks, running his hand through his hair. I remember how that habit used to annoy me to no end. Now I find it cute.

"Sure. What do you have in mind?" I wonder out loud.

"How about we just talk and walk on the beach? I can't get enough of it," James admits, motioning towards the glistening ocean.

"Sounds good to me."

We stroll along and talk about everything. School, friends, family, Quidditch (a whole lot of Quidditch talk from James and a whole lot of nods and smiles from me), and anything we can think of.

"Have you _ever _flown before?" James asks after finishing a full-out Quidditch commentary about Gryffindor's last game.

"Um, once," I reply. I don't mention that I meant once a day. This should be fun.

"Wow. I can't believe it. Flying is so much fun! The wind in your face, soaring above everything, it's amazing." James looks completely into what he is saying. I know what he's talking about, but he doesn't know that I know. He's so cute as he tries to convince me.

"Hey," James states like he just had an epiphany, "do you want to learn how to fly a broom?" He looks at me with those wide hazel eyes, like a kid begging his mother for candy. How could I say no?

"Um…" I try to sound hesitant. "I guess."

"Really? Brilliant! You'll need a broom-"

"I've got one."

"What?"

"I found an old broom in the cupboard under the stairs."

"Oh."

"_Accio broom._"

"_Accio Phoenix._"

I look at James puzzled and he proudly explains, "The fastest broom yet."

Within a few seconds, the brooms arrive. James grabs them both and puts them on the sand.

"First you stand beside the broom, like this," James describes, standing beside his broom. I follow and stand beside mine.

"Then you hold out your hand over it, like this." I follow James and put my hand over my broom.

"After that, you say 'up' very firmly. The broom should fly into your hand. Here, watch me." James places his hand over his broom and says, "Up!" The Phoenix zooms into his hand.

"Wow," I gasp. I pretend to be completely shocked by this, even though I've seen it (and done it) a thousand times.

"Okay, your turn," prods James.

"Alright." I take a deep breath to add to my act. Placing my hand in the right position, I yell, "Up!" My broom flies right into my outstretched hand. James nearly falls over in surprise.

"Whoa! I didn't expect you to get it on the first try!" he exclaims, flabbergasted.

"Neither did I!" I lie. Of course I knew that I could do it. I've done it forever! Can't let James know that. Yet.

"So," James continues, "now you're going to mount it. Perfect. I want you to kick off of the ground, hard. You're going to hover in the air for a few seconds, then lean forward and touch back down. Do you think you can do that?"

"I think so," I say, very shyly.

"Here, I'll show you first." He kicks off, hovers, and then comes back to the ground. I applaud at his skill (this is still my act, remember?).

"Your turn," James smiles. I try to make myself look pale. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you."

I think two things at the same time:

_I am a great actress!_ and

_Eeeeeeeee! He won't let anything happen to me!!!!!_

"Here I go," I say. _This will be fun._

I kick off hard, like I've done so many times before. I hover for a few seconds, like James told me to do. But instead of touching back down, I slide close to my broom and take off over the ocean. I then perform all of my favorite aerial tricks: loops, flips, everything. After I finish showing off, I fly back to the beach to where James is standing. His jaw is practically hitting the sand!

"Are you coming or not?" I ask him, flying around him, low to the ground. He finally breaks out of his daze and smiles. Not before long, we're zooming, side-by-side, across the Pacific Ocean. I feel completely and utterly free, flying next to James. I couldn't be happier.

We slow down a little so we can talk. I'm about to make some snappy comment, but he beats me to the punch.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I hope he's not too mad.

"About what?" I innocently reply.

"That you've obviously flown a lot!" exclaims James.

"Oh, come on! Lighten up. You should've seen your face!" I laugh. He doesn't say anything. "Besides, what would you have done?"

He ponders that thought for a while. As his face breaks into a wide grin, I realize that he knows I'm right. He would've done the same exact thing to me.

"So, how long have you been flying?" he asks.

"Oh, about every day since first year," I reply nonchalantly.

"Does Afhton fly too?" he wonders.

"Well, no," I admit. "You're kinda the first person that knows."

"So you've kept this a secret from everyone all of these years?" he specifies.

"Yep. Until now. So what are you going to do about it?" I ask.

"I say…we race!" James yells, taking off into the distance. I follow suit. I catch up very quickly and take him by surprise. We eventually make it back to the shore. I'm too pepped up to remember who won. It's late, so James walks me back to my house.

Once we reach my doorstep, I say, "I still need to get that basket."

"As I said before, you can try to get it, but I want it," he reminds me.

"I'll stop by after dinner to get it," I say, completely ignoring his comment.

"Whatever," he replies. He then turns around and pretends to stalk off in an overly girly fashion. I laugh at his antics. He turns around to flash me a grin, then continues to walk off. I chuckle some more and go into the house.

After dinner with my parents, I'm too eager to see James again. As soon as I finish my last bite, I head out the door, leaving puzzled parents behind. It's dark out, so I take my time. I am almost halfway there when I hear voices. Two of them; one male, one female. It's easy to distinguish James's voice, even though I can't make out what he's saying. The female voice is completely foreign to me, and I cannot recognize her. I've never seen anybody with dark hair like hers.

I crouch down behind a bush so they won't be able to see me. They're walking down the beach. They look close and they're talking intimately, that I can tell. A bad feeling hits me deep in the stomach. I don't have time to analyze what it could mean. I'm too riveted by what happens next.

He embraces her. James hugs the strange girl with shiny dark hair. My eyes are glued to them as they stay like that. Water starts to well in my eyes, as the two finally break apart. I can't take anymore of this.

Without a second thought, I sprint back to my house and up the stairs into the safety of my room. I bury my face into my pillow to muffle the sobs as my heart breaks into a thousand pieces.

A/N: I hope you like it, even though I almost cried at the end. Who is the mystery girl? Why were they embracing? What will happen next? You'll have to wait and find out. Only I know (well, princesskiri14 knows too, but that's besides the point).

Also, I would like everyone to know that I whooped princesskiri14's butt at bowling on Friday. I crushed her!

Also, I pretended that they could use magic outside of school. Just pretending, okay?

I hope that you all have a safe and happy holiday with the people that you care about most. This is my gift to you all, and I would be very happy to get some reviews from you guys.

Happy Holidays!


	10. I Didn't Have to Catch You

A/N: hey guys! Here is CHAPTER 10!!!!! Yay! This is an important moment in my fanfiction career. My first fanfic, making it all the way to ten chapters (with many more to come!). I think I'm going to cry… oh wait, no I'm not.

Thank you to all of my loyal reviewers who have endlessly supported this story. Without you guys, I probably would've stopped this story a while ago. Thanks a bunch!

Also, before now, I had no idea about where this plot was going. Now, I do! It's all in my head, so you'll just have to wait and see. (And it's good, if I do say so myself! You'll never see it coming… or maybe you will… whatever.)

Disclaimer: It would be a lie it I told you that I own any of this (excluding Afhton and Kristen). It would be a monstrous lie, so don't believe it. 'Cause it's not true.

**Chapter 10**: I Didn't Have to Catch You

I don't know how long I cry before I eventually drift off into sleep. Not a peaceful sleep either. I lose track at how many times I toss and turn, trying to find a comfortable position. Nothing works. As a result, I end up staring at the ceiling for most of the night.

Morning finally arrives, though I don't feel any better. About _him_, I mean. I feel as if my heart has been trampled on by ten over-weight hippogriffs. I feel detached from everything. Deflated, even.

Noiselessly, I walk to the bathroom and take a shower. Normally, I love showers because they are when I let loose and belt my favorite songs. I don't know why, but I normally feel as though nobody can hear me, even though I'm positive that everyone can. That doesn't bother me. I can't be touched.

Except today, I'm too –hmm, let me run through a list of adjectives: tired, sad, deflated, depressed, sorrowful, miserable, melancholy… How about all of the above? –everything to sing. I doesn't seem right.

So I don't sing. I get out of the bathroom, get dressed, and go downstairs to get some food. I'm the first one up, making the house seem strangely quiet. I silently eat some cereal and fruit, alone at the table.

I've decided that I'll just ignore Potter. That way, he and his little friend can spend some time together. Not to mention the fact that my heart won't break all over again when I see him. See him ruffle his hair, grin at a pointless joke, or –no. I won't do this to myself.

Since I've basically stopped thinking all together, the silence in the house is now overwhelming. I need to get some fresh air.

Striding to the door, I swing it open. I would go through it, but there's an obstacle in my way. A very good-looking obstacle –_stop it, Lily!_

And he just hit me on the forehead.

I wait for him to look up and see that he's knocking on a human door. When he finally does, he nearly jumps ten feet in surprise.

"Lily! I'm so –" Potter starts, but I cut him off.

"I'm not a door, _Potter,_" I hiss, emphasizing the use of his last name. He tries to ignore it.

"I just wanted to bring you back your basket," he says, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "When you didn't come by last night, I was worried about you. So I came first thing this morning."

It's funny to think how, just yesterday, my response to that comment (in my thoughts) would have been:

_He was worried about me!_

But now, I couldn't care less.

"What about 'You can try to get the basket, but I want it' thing yesterday?" I ask him, folding my arms across my chest in a standoffish manner.

But Potter seems to have not heard me. "Was that supposed to be an imitation of _me_?" he asks, stunned.

I carry on as if I didn't hear him. "Don't you think that is a little hypocritical?"

"Do I really sound like that?" Potter asks, completely absorbed in himself.

"Could you stop being such a conceit git for just a moment?" I practically scream in his face. "Or is that too much to ask for?" I'm really yelling at him now.

"Whoa, Lily. What's wrong?" he asks me, concerned. I wonder why, until I see water spots on the floor. I'm crying. This is so bloody perfect (sarcasm). I hate crying in public. Well, in front of other people in general.

"Are you okay?" Potter asks, reaching out to me with an outstretched hand.

"Don't pull that trick with me, Potter! One minute you're all lost in Potter Land, and the next you pretend to actually care about other people! That won't work on me anymore!" I shout in his face.

Potter looks stunned. It's a good act. I am positive that he knows what I'm talking about, even if he won't admit it. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't pretend that you don't know," I say, turning away, sniffling.

"Lily, I –" he starts, holding out both hands so the basket is in front of me. I can't handle any more of this, so I snatch the basket and slam the door in his face. I try to control myself as horrible sobs escape from my mouth. I slide against the door to a sitting position as I let it all out. I don't care if he hears me or not.

This is all too terrible. I found myself actually letting him in, letting myself finally open up. And it was so much fun. While it lasted. I really thought that he had changed. I really thought that I could trust him with my heart. It just goes to show; James Potter doesn't care about anybody but himself. I just had to learn it the hard way, shattering my feelings in the process.

Suddenly, I hear motion from upstairs. I guess that my parents have finally decided to wake up. I quickly wipe the tears from my face and stand up. I realize instantly that I don't want to be here anymore. So I write I quick note to leave on the counter for my parents. Taking two steps at a time, I leap up the stairs and into my room. I then grab my broom, open the window, and soar out through it into the cool ocean air.

I don't look back as I fly over the ocean. I don't make it far until I stop and cry again in the air. I don't know what has come over me. I've never cried this much in my entire life. Why now? I've dealt with harder things before in my life.

"Lily! Wait!" I hear someone call from behind me. It could only be one person, and seeing as I don't particularly want to see him, I don't wait. Instead, I speed off into the horizon. That doesn't stop Potter, though.

"Lily!" Potter shouts from behind me. He seems closer now. As I response I only fly faster. "Let me talk to you!"

I'm done with talking. Talking has gotten me nowhere fast, except down the road to heartache. I urge my broom to go faster, knowing that Potter's broom is much better than mine. He'll catch up eventually, but I want to delay that for as long as possible.

But he doesn't. Catch up, I mean. It's as if my highly charged emotions have caused my broom to fly faster than ever. That doesn't bother me one bit. But apparently, it bothers Potter. He's just a sore loser; little Lily can fly faster than O Magnificent Potter. Well, screw that.

Out of nowhere, I feel something hit my back. Hard. Hard enough to send me tumbling off of my broom. And I've never fallen off of my broom before. Until now.

The wind lifts my hair and clothes to the sky as I fall to the water. The ocean looms closer and closer until I can feel it's salty spray at my face. But it only lasts for a second. The next thing I know, someone's strong arm is around me, and I'm flying once again. I would be happy, except for the fact that I'm with Potter.

In a flash, I understand what had made me fall. "Did you just hit me with a curse?" I ask him now that I'm sitting, safely, in front of Potter as he flies slowly through the air.

"We need to talk, Lily" is his reply. I notice that he didn't answer my question.

"Did YOU just hit ME with a CURSE?" I ask him, louder this time.

"What is wrong with you all of the sudden? Why do you hate me?" He still hasn't even acknowledged my question.

I swiftly turn around on the broomstick, so I can face him. "DID YOU HIT ME WITH A FREAKING CURSE!?!?!?"

He opens his mouth in a response that isn't a direct answer. "Well, I –"

"ANSWER ME!" I shout right in his face, making him cower slightly.

"Yes, I did," Potter finally says. "We need to talk, and I couldn't catch you. You know I never would have hurt you." He looks at me with pleading eyes.

I don't care, though. "You already have," I whisper. I don't even know if he heard me, but that doesn't matter to me. In the next second, my fist collides with his face.

I don't really have much experience in the punching department, but I think that I sent the right message. It wasn't so much about the pain, even though I could tell that it hurt. Not just by the throbbing ache in my hand, but in the way Potter stopped flying and actually fell off of the broom.

The real message that I wanted sent is: stay the hell away from me, or I'll punch you. Again.

But now, Potter was kind of falling straight into the ocean. Now, I'm the kind of person that doesn't… well, to say it bluntly, kill people (or watch and laugh as they fall to their death). So that's why I'm now zooming down to stop Mr.-Guy-That-Stole-My-Heart-And-Laughed (well, he didn't really laugh, but whatever)-As-It-Shattered Potter from dying.

I am happy to note that Potter yelps like a little girl as I scoop him back on to his fancy _Phoenix._ (Cue evil chuckle.) But I am very unhappy to note that even though his broom may be hoity-toity (wow, that's an actual word…), it is also a lot better than mine. I might have to upgrade. A new broom would make a smashing Christmas present for me to give to myself.

Anyway, as soon as I make sure that Potter is stable on his broom, I say, "_Accio broom_" in order to get mine back. I wait until I can see it soaring towards me.

Normally, I wouldn't attempt a move like this while hovering a few hundred feet above the Pacific Ocean. Normally, I wouldn't attempt this move at all! Normally I have common sense, not to mention the fear of falling to my death. Well, normally, I'm not this numb.

As my broom flies beside the _Phoenix,_ I shift and leap off of Potter's broom and onto mine. For a startling moment, I hover between the two brooms, truly flying. The feeling is amazing, but it only lasts for about a half of a second. Then, I connect with the familiarity of my own broom and take off towards the shore.

As I land back on the soft sand, an extreme fatigue washes over me. My sleepless night has finally caught up with me. I decide to take a quick nap.

There is no spring in my step as I walk back into the house. Striding through the door, I can see out of the corner of my eye that Potter lands on the shore. Oh well. I don't want to think about him anymore.

I make it to my room and collapse in my bed. I don't even bother to change; I know that I'll be up again in a few hours (at the middle of the day). As my head hits the pillow, an owl taps its beak on my window. I try to ignore it, but it won't stop. And seeing as I can't sleep with an annoying bird pecking at my window, I give in. I open the window to let the owl in. It flutters around my room for a bit before settling down. As soon as it does, I take the letter that it has. It says:

_Lily,_

_Why are you so angry with me all of the sudden? What did I do? Let me fix it. Please. You know I would never purposely hurt you. Whatever I did, I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding, and I'm sorry. Forgive me._

_James_

_P.S. The owl isn't leaving until it gets a reply._

I look out the window to see the neighboring house. In the adjacent window, Potter sits, appearing hopeful. He does look sorry, but he doesn't even realize what I'm mad about! I don't want to reply to the message, but the stupid owl won't leave me alone. I, being impatient to go to sleep, quickly grab a piece of paper and a pen. I don't even bother addressing or signing it.

_You really don't know, do you? How can you be sorry for something you don't even know about? I'll answer that for you: you can't._

_Leave me alone. I am only answering your stupid letter because I want to get rid of your stupid bird. And I'm trying to catch up on sleep._

To finish it, I add (while smirking):

_I didn't have to catch you, you know._

A/N: _sigh._ Ten whole chapters. Wow. So, Lily's feeling very peeved at James now. What will happen next??? Now that I know how I want this story to end, I think it will be easier to write. I hope to avoid those pesky writer's blocks. I hate those blocks! They are evil!

Thanks again to all of my awesome reviewers. You are all filled with awesome awesomeness. And happy New Year! 2007!!!

The review button beckons to you… do not resist. It cannot hurt you.


	11. Serenading and Window Falling

A/N: hey people! What's happenin'? Well, for me, Christmas break is over and school sucks. The only good thing about it is that I'm playing ultimate Frisbee in PE. I live for Frisbee!! And sorry, my deadline for this chapter was on Saturday, but I got lazy and didn't type it. Sorry about that.

As always, thanks to my totally awesome reviewers. You guys rock! ;)

Disclaimer- Does anybody still read these? (If so, see chapter 10)

**Chapter 11: **Serenading and Window Falling

The next week flies in a blur. Running on the beach. Flying into the sunset. Gazing out on the speckled night sky. Feeling completely at peace…

Oh, I almost forgot! Potter (note the complete unenthusiastic-ness and hatred).

Monday:

_Lily,_

_Please talk to me. I'm begging you! I'm down on my knees here! Please, please, please talk to me. I miss you._

_James_

It's funny to think how so many girls at Hogwarts would've practically died if _the _James Butt-Head Potter sent them a note like this. It's sad to say that just two days ago, I would have been one of those girls. It's weird to think how much I can change in just a short time. Whatever.

Just as before, Potter's stupid bird wouldn't leave until I send a reply. Well, I think that he'll be very happy with what I write.

_If you don't stop sending stupid letters, I'm going to perform the Killing Curse on your stupid bird._

I think it sends the right message, don't you? Well, apparently not.

Later on Monday:

_Lily,_

_Please don't kill my bird. I just want to talk to you. Besides, if you should kill anybody, it should be me. I must have done something really wrong. Don't take your hatred for me out of my bird. (Even though I hope you don't feel hatred towards me.)_

_James_

And my reply:

_Avada…_

I get no letters after that. And I wasn't even going to hurt his owl! I rock.

Tuesday:

"Lily!" my mum yells to me from the kitchen. "Get the door! I'm a little busy right now!"

"Alright, Mum!" I holler back. I'm actually starting to feel good today. Potter stopped sending me letters. I guess my owl-threat actually worked.

I jog to the door and open it as I reach it. Well, there goes my good day.

Instead of a person at the door, there is a bouquet. Of roses. With a big red bow. And a card.

_Lily,_

_Forgive me._

_James_

He's not going to stop, is he? (That was a rhetorical question)

I need to stop and assess this situation. James Potter…likes to prank people…self-centered…ego boy…loves to witness his successes…flowers can't ring a door bell…

At that last thought, I know exactly how to make these roses disappear. Grabbing them off of the doormat, I race around the corner of the house. Just as I planned, Potter sits in the bushes, peering through. I don't know what he expected to see. Me breaking down and crying at the sight of beautiful roses. Or maybe he thought flowers would cause me to suddenly forgive him. It doesn't really matter to me.

He sees me coming and tries to run. He doesn't get very far. I sprint and leap. Tackling him to the ground, I whack Potter on the head countless of times with the roses.

After about the tenth smack, Potter grabs my wrist, forcing me to stop.

"Lily," he says, panting, "what has gotten into you?"

Without having a proper answer, I just stand up and brush myself off.

"Leave. Me. Alone." I pronounce each word, emphasizing the meaning. I stalk off back towards my house, slamming the door shut as I go inside.

"Who was at the door, honey?" Mum asks, emerging from the kitchen.

"Nobody," I reply coolly.

Wednesday:

I wake up to the smell of the sea. A cool breeze wanders into my room, bringing with it the calm roar of the ocean…

Wait. I didn't leave my window open last night.

I fling my eyes open and nearly fall out of bed at the sight before me.

"Ahhh!"

There, sitting calmly on my windowsill, is Potter, reading one of my Teen Witch magazines.

"Shh, Lily, you'll wake your parents," he says smugly, turning the page.

"H-how did you get in here?" I ask, my voice cracking once.

"I'm not a wizard for nothing, you know." He puts the magazine down and becomes serious. "We need to talk."

"No," I counter, "you need to get out of my room!" I try to shove him out of my window, but he's got that covered. As if expecting this reaction, Potter just blocks me. His Quidditch strength stops me instantly.

"Fine." I have a plan.

Potter must have seen the smirk on my face because he looked kinda freaked out. "Lily?"

Too late. "AHHHHHH!!!! MOM! DAD! There's a man in my room! HELP!" I scream as loud as I can. After I finish yelling, I look at Potter. The color has drained from his face. He looks scared out of his wits.

Right before the door slams open, Potter grabs his broom (that was on the floor; I didn't see it earlier) and soars out via the window. I can't help but overhear a few not-so-nice words being muttered as he finally exits my room.

"Lily!" my dad yells as he enters my room. "Are you alright?"

"Um, yeah dad," I start, mumbling. "There was a bug?"

"Didn't you yell, 'there's a man in my room'?" my mum questions.

"Um, no, I said, 'there's a, um, an ant in my room.'" They don't look too convinced. "Yeah, sorry about that. I'm going to the beach now!" I call as I leap for the door, not caring that I'm in my pajamas. Why didn't I think of a cover up before I pulled that stunt?

Thursday:

"LILY!!!"

"I'm right here, Dad."

"Oh. Lily, something came for you in the mail from one of your friends." Dad says, holding out a large, badly wrapped package. It looks strangely like a broomstick…

"A broom! A broom!" I squeal in delight, jumping around the living room. "It's an _Arrow Head_! The new model! This is wicked!"

"Who's it from, honey?" Mum asks, entering to room to see what the fuss is about. I look at the card.

_Lily,_

_I hope you take this as a sign of peace. If you accept it, I would appreciate it if you would write to me later today. Please, I just want to talk to you._

_James_

_P.S.- This is faster than my broom, but I don't think that's an issue for you._

Instantly, my happiness evaporates. "James Potter."

"Ooo! A boy!" My mum couldn't be happier. But I just wanted to die. _He got me a broom? What should I do?_

Well, I want this broom. I have pined for a new broom since last year. You just can't get the same thrill on a musty, old broom. So, I decide to keep the broom and send Potter a letter later tonight.

_Potter,_

_I do NOT, under any circumstances, forgive you. But I'm keeping the broom. Deal with it._

_Lily_

Friday:

Expect the unexpected. That is my new philosophy. For good reason.

I thought that he had nothing else up his sleeves. But I was wrong.

I sit on my bed, reading one of my favorite muggle fantasy books. Ironically, it's about a teen witch going to a normal high school, and she falls in love with the clown of the class. Well, I just enjoy the solitude, until I hear something.

"Lily!" At first the call is weak, but then it gets stronger and stronger. Eventually, the voice sounds like it's coming from right under my window.

_Oh no! _I think to myself, trying to ignore the calls. _Please don't let it be him. Please let him leave me alone!_

"LILY!" Potter screams from a story beneath me. "Talk to me!"

I try to ignore him, but that doesn't stop him. Maybe he'll think I'm not home.

"I know you're in there! I can see your light on!" Okay, time for plan B:

Ignore him at all costs.

"Please talk to me! Please!!!!!" he yells. He's never going to give up!

I peak through the curtains to see him, standing in the dark, below my window.

"I see you!" he calls, cracking a grin. Bloody brilliant.

I turn away from the window and continue reading.

"Lily! Don't make me sing…" Potter threatens. Oh no. He sang one time at the Great Hall last year. Let's just say that I don't think my hearing has fully come back yet. Finally, I cave.

"Leave me alone!" I shout at him, opening the window to fit my head through.

"Please! Can't we just talk?" he bellows. Holding out his arms as a sign of peace, Potter continues, "Tell me what I did wrong!"

"You're doing it right now." I try to think of something to get myself out of this situation.

"That's not what I meant!"

"Leave me alone!"  
"I'm not going anywhere until you talk to me!"

I sigh. This isn't going to be as easy this time. Suddenly, a thought hits me like a snowball connecting with a little kid's face. I'm not a witch for nothing.

"Lily? Where are you going?" Potter yells worriedly as I run around my room searching for my wand. When I find it, I come back to the window.

"Lily?"

I quickly cast a silencing charm, smirking to myself.

I can see him mouth my name again, but I don't hear anything.

"I can't hear you anymore! Go away!" With that, I turn around and go downstairs to the kitchen. Evading Potter really works up an appetite. I need some chocolate.

Saturday:

I really, finally think that Potter is going to leave me alone. For good. He hasn't tried anything today. No letters, or flowers, or more fancy presents, or more serenading. I'm glad.

Well, I may be glad, but I'm not happy. That doesn't really make any sense. I'm glad about Potter leaving me alone. But I can't get the image of him embracing that strange girl out of my head. I haven't gotten much sleep lately. My mind keeps thinking about him… with her. I just want to forget and move on with my summer.

On Saturday evening, I decide to walk along the beach as sunset. The colors that light up the sky are amazing; truly breathtaking. I'm in a good mood as I return to my room and flop on my bed. That's when I hear him calling me again.

"LILEEEEEE!!!!" he shouts. He seems far away, like he's shouting from is window. I guess he was too lazy to go outside.

"Go away!" I bellow in reply.

"LILEEEEEE!!!!" he yells again. Wait a second. That voice is too whiny to be Potter. It sounds like…

_Please, no, _I think, recognizing the voice. _Don't let it be him. Please, no._

I crack open the window and look out. There, across the way, is a figure waving from the Potter's window. But it's not Potter. It's worse.

Sirius Black.

"HELLO LILEEEE!!" Black screams, waving franticly. Before I can react, he manages to lose his balance and fall to the ground. He was on the second floor!

I can see a clump lying motionless on the ground under the window.

_Great. I should go and help him, _my conscious says in my head.

**_But it's Black,_** another voice says.

_He could be hurt. _Brilliant. I have a little angel and devil on my shoulders.

_**The world would be better without him,** _the devil says.

"Enough!" I yell out loud. I already know what I'm going to do. I'm too nice of a person to leave him there. Grabbing my jacket off of my bed, I race down the stairs and out the door.

I run to Black's limp form and kneel down beside him. Gently shaking his shoulders, he comes around.

"What happened?" he asks me, looking a little beat up. He did fall out of a second story window…

"You fell out the window, moron," I snap at him.

"It's good to see you too, Lily." Black smiles and tries to stand up. Leaning on my shoulder, we manage to stand without falling over. That's when Potter bursts through the back door of his house.

And right behind him is the girl with the shiny dark hair.

A/N: ooo! Another cliffy!!!! Just so ya know, you're about to find out who the mystery girl is. You'll never see it coming! (now that I've said that, I bet a few of you can guess who it is… darn it!)

Anyway, does the story still have its same spark as it did in the beginning? I don't know, I just want to check and see what you guys think… Tell me your thoughts. Please be honest so I can change it (if necessary) for the better.

Please review!!! I want to hear your predictions for who the girl is! (princesskiri14, you don't count. I know you know who she is… don't spoil it!)


	12. The Unexpected

A/N: hello everyone! The girl's identity is about to be revealed, so I'll make this short. Thanks reviewers!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

**Chapter 12: **The Unexpected

_Previously: That's when Potter bursts through the back door of his house. _

_And right behind him is the girl with the shiny dark hair._

"Padfoot, mate, are you alright?" Potter asks, running to Black's side. I don't hear the reply. My mind has been shut off.

Well, now that I think about it, I don't think it's been shut off. Thoughts are just whizzing around too fast to distinguish any. I just stare at the girl–the one with the dark hair–in complete shock. She must have noticed because she stares back at me with a strange expression on her face.

"Are you okay?" she says, stepping towards me. I take a step back, causing Black to nearly fall over. I guess he was still leaning on me from before. I don't care though. I feeling of urgency fills throughout my body. An urgency to leave. Immediately.

"I…um, I should…bye," I mutter, turning to go. But a strong hand stops me. I don't even have to turn to know whom it belongs to.

"Wait," Potter says, caringly, "please don't leave." His eyes look so hopeful. "At least stay for Sirius." He comes up with a lame excuse to make me stay. Well, if he wants me here that bad, maybe I should just stay.

"Right," Black hurries (after Potter elbowed him in the stomach), "I need a friend now." Pathetic. I'm outta here.

"You've got Potter," I reply coolly, trying to edge away.

"Him? Who do you think pushed me out of the window in the first place?" Black's laugh is nervous and out of place. It just makes me want to leave even faster. But something stops me. Potter is still holding onto my arm.

I realize, then, that there's no way out of this. Potter is holding onto my arm for dear life, and Black won't let me leave either. He "needs a friend" right now. There's no way out.

"Fine," I sigh, "but just for Black." I stalk off towards the Potter's house. The dark-haired girl comes beside me.

"That was bloody brilliant. Black falling out of the window, I mean." She's trying to be friendly, but I ignore her. The little skank.

Okay, maybe that's a little bit harsh. They only hugged! But I bet that's not all they've done. The thought sends shivers up my spine.

Potter sighs in happiness (about me agreeing to stay) as he and Black follow me into the house. I plop down on a couch, and, to my disgust, Potter sits right next to me. The girl and Black each sit on chairs across from us.

Nobody seems inclined to say anything. An awkward silence surrounds us. I just want to get out of here.

Before I decide to stand up, though, the girl says something to me. "So, Lily, how has your summer been so far?"

I don't want to answer her, but something makes me. I don't answer her question. Instead, I ask one of my own. "How do you know my name?"

She blanches and looks to Potter. He seems unnaturally uncomfortable, running his hand through his hair, not once, but several times. What's his issue?  
"Are you kidding?" the girl decides to say, much to the annoyance of Potter (telling my the grimace on his face), "James, here, won't shut up about you."

At this time, I whole number of emotions come over me at the same time. I feel:

1). Happy- He was talking about me!!!

2). Angry- Why the hell was he talking about me? What did he say? That git!

3). Disbelieving- Why should I trust you, you lying skank!

4). Confusion- Why would Potter talk about me to his girlfriend????

"Wait." I sigh, remembering that I have no clue who I'm speaking with. "Who are you?"

"Oh my gosh!" the girl exclaims. "I haven't introduced myself! How silly of me. My name is Kirsten."

"It's nice to meet you, Kirsten," I say in complete falseness. Why do I have to be so polite? Curse you, stupid manners.

Potter chooses this moment to pound me with questions about my actions lately.

"Lily, why are you avoiding me? Has something happened? Is everything all right? Are you mad at me? What did I do wrong?" he pelts at me, moving so he's sitting right in front of my face. Finally, I snap.

"Why don't you ask your girlfriend?!" I yell at him, instantly regretting my words.

Potter at least has the grace to look shocked. "Girlfriend?"

"Yeah," I say with force, "her!" I throw my arm out at Kirsten, who nearly falls out of her chair in surprise.

"Ew, James and me! That's gross!" she exclaims, clearly disgusted. Not exactly the reaction I was expecting.

"We're not going out," Potter declares. "What gave you the idea?"

Great. Now he'll find out that I really like him and I was hurt because I saw him with Kirsten. How am I going to get myself out of this one?

I decide to go with the truth. "I saw you two hugging on the beach."

"EW!" Potter and Kirsten exclaim at the same time. "We've never hugged!" Potter yells.

"Wait," Kirsten says, realization dawning on her face, "we did, you dolt. We hugged last week when we greeted after the plane ride."

As Potter's face pales, Kirsten throws a look my way. She's putting two and two together. Not good.

"So, you were mad at me when you saw us hugging–even though if you waited a second longer, you would've seen us tackling each other–because you really have-" Potter was cut off by a pillow connecting with his face. "Kirsten!" he bellows over Black's chuckles. "What was that for?"

"Nothing," she replies looking smug. She smiles at me and I realize that she basically just saved my life. Potter was about to say, "Because you (meaning me) really have feelings for me (meaning Potter)." She really did save my life. I am forever in her debt.

"Wha?" Potter says, articulately.

"Here, have a crossword puzzle," Kirsten says, handing Potter a piece of paper and a pen. They were on the table next to her…

Whoa. Crossword puzzles. Airplanes. Kristen.

"You!" I scream, jumping up. "You're Kristen! From the flight!"

She doesn't even look surprised. "At your service." She does a mock bow and sits down. Again, not the reaction I was expecting.

Potter puts his head in his hands, as if that will stop his brain from pouring out. "You're confusing her, Kirsten," he says to the floor.

"You got that right!" I look to Kirsten for some answers, but she doesn't seem inclined to give any.

Once again, an awkward silence sweeps over the room. Black is the first to break.

"She's Prongs's cousin! Kirsten, I mean. That's why they were hugging! They're like brother and sister, reuniting for the first time in a year!" Black pauses to catch his breath. "You're right, Lily. Kirsten is Kristen from your flight. Prongs told me about it. Kirsten is a Metamorphagus."

"What?" I ask, bewildered.

"A Metamorphagus. She can turn into other people," Black informs.

"I know what a Metamorphagus it, Black," I snap at him.

I swing my gaze from Black to look over at Kirsten. But she's not the tall, dark haired girl I was looking at a few seconds ago. She's now the short, blonde Kristen.

"Hey," she says, "remember me?"

"This is weird," I sigh, sitting down. Now, I realize where I've seen hair like hers. Potter's hair is that dark color, just not as long. They really do look alike.

"I'll be staying here for the summer with James, so we'll be seeing a lot of each other," she points out.

"This is going to take some getting used to," I moan to myself.

"Don't worry about it," Kirsten says as she gets up. I guess she heard me. She moves to where Potter and I are sitting, and pushes her way so she's sitting (very closely, I might add) between us. "Jamsiepoo has some great memories of incidents from family reunions, don't you James."

"Yeah. Great memories," he replies, sarcastically. "And my name is not Jamsiepoo."

"Like," she continues, ignoring Potter's comment, "when we were at Aunt Laurie Ann's last year, I –"

"No more stories tonight, alright Kirsten? Or I might just have to tell what happened last year at Uncle Jay's," Potter threatens.

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

"Well, this has been fun, but I really should be going now," I announce, standing up and heading towards the door.

"I'll walk you home," Potter gallantly offers, striding towards me.

"It's twenty yards away."

"Well, it's late, and all of the creeps and weirdoes are out now," he points out.

I sigh in defeat. "Whatever, Potter."

We go out the back door and walk the first few steps in silence. I wonder if he's actually going to talk to me. Then he does. And the subject of conversation has me wishing that he didn't want to talk.

"So," he starts, "why were you upset when you saw Kirsten and I hugging?"

Great. What are my options here? I could:

a). Lie and suffer the consequences later.

b). Tell the truth and suffer the consequences now.

c). Not answer at all and sprint back to my house and lock him out.

d). Use my awesome acting skills and burst out into tears and cry about my dead hamster (note: I don't have a dead hamster).

I decide on neither, though it was fun to make that list in my head. I try for an easy way out. "It's a little embarrassing. I don't really want to talk about it. Do you mind if I don't tell you?"

"If you don't want to talk about it," he says almost immediately, "then you don't have to. That's fine with me."

With my keen observation skills, I notice that his reply was not the expected, "Ha! You like me! Admit it!" He's really okay with this.

"Thanks."

We walk the last five feet in a comfortable silence. When we reach the door, Potter says, "Goodnight, Lily."

"Goodnight, Potter."

As I shut the door, I hear him again. "Wait." I open the door again to see Potter still standing in my doorway.

"What is it?" I ask, leaning against the doorframe.

"Do you think we could get that back?" he inquires, the moonlight shining down on his face. My heart races. My stupid feelings for him have come back after Kirsten's revelation. As much as I want to suppress them, they keep persisting.

"Get what back?" I ask, trying to make my voice sound steady.

"Our friendship." He runs his hand through his hair. I would've fallen over if it weren't for the doorframe supporting my weight. Then he continues, "I love spending time with you. Just talking, or flying, or even calling to you from below your window. I've missed you, this past week. I really have. I just wish that we could have our friendship back. It means a lot to me. _You_ mean a lot to me. I don't want to lose that."

He looks straight into my eyes, and I can't look away. They're so true. So gentle and kind. I don't know what to say.

I smile, and he smiles back. "Goodnight. _James._" I whisper, shutting the door. I'm glad that James can't see the blush spreading across my face as I dazedly walk up the stairs and into my room. Still smiling, I flop into bed and fall asleep as soon as my head touches the pillow.

A/N: Okay, I'm sorry that this chapter was really short and bad, but it was extremely hard to write. I needed to explain a lot of stuff about Kirsten, so nothing really exciting could happen. It's probably my worst chapter ever. Once again, sorry about that. Don't hate me.

ReadingRobyn- I'm sorry that I didn't update yesterday. I got extremely busy, and this chapter took a lot longer to write than I planned. Sorry.

Gohan'slittlebro47- I'm sorry that you don't like Hannah Montana. Or the Steelers (even though they were terrible this season. Rrr). But I am glad that you like my story. That's all that I really care about.

To all of my other awesome reviewers- thank you so much for the positive reviews. They really make my day. Seriously. They do. Keep 'em coming!

And to everyone else who doesn't review- thanks for reading (even though I encourage you to review. Not just to my story, but to any one that you read. They really do help (and they make authors feel damn good about their story) Just keep that in mind).

!WEIVER (that's REVIEW! backwards. Ha! That's funny. Weiver!)


	13. Oops to the Thirteenth

A/N: hey everyone! It's been a while. A millions "sorry"s for that. I had a very hard time with this chapter. It seems as if my muse has left me for a while. But it's back now! (I think…) Yeah!

This chapter is my longest one yet, so that should make up for the long lull in the updates. I'm really, really, really, really sorry.

Thank you, reviewers! (even though I didn't get many for the last chapter. I don't blame anyone, though. That was a pretty bad chapter.)

This chapter is dedicated to princesskiri14, who helped me come up with the idea. Thanks for always being there to hear my ideas (even the stupid ones) and for reading my drafts during report room. Thanks! (And you better read this, or I'm going to be really mad…)

Disclaimer: The only thing I own is my computer. That's about it.

**Chapter 13**: Oops to the Thirteenth

"LILY!"

"WHAT?"

"Oh," James says from under my window. This has been a regular occurrence since I found out about Kirsten. James (yes, I'm calling him by his first name now) always talks to me from under my window. I don't know why. Maybe he's too lazy to come into my vacation house. Whatever the reason is, I don't really care. I'm glad that I am not mad at him anymore. One thing that I've learned this past week is: thinking of ways to avoid James is exhausting!

Now, it's a beautiful Friday morning, and my mood is 100 percent happy. I wish I could say the same for James.

"What's up?" I ask him, opening the window and leaning on the sill.

"What's up?" he repeats in disbelief, like he's talking to a two year old. "What's up? It's Friday the Thirteenth, that's what's up."

"Right." I pause and take a deep breath. "So?"  
"So? So!" he repeats. Again.

"Stop repeating me!" I scream, throwing my hands up in anger.

"Sorry."

"What's the big deal about Friday the Thirteenth?"

"What's the big deal?" James sees the piercing look on my face and quickly adds, "Sorry about that. But it's Friday the Thirteenth! Everything that could possibly go wrong is going to go wrong today! We need to get somewhere safe!"

The look on his face tells me that this is no joke. Naturally, in response, I burst out into fits of laughter. This, it seems, insights James more.

"Why are you laughing? This is no laughing matter! This is serious!" he shouts at me.

"No, Sirius is over at your house," I manage to say through my chuckles. I couldn't help but use the old pun. I couldn't help it. I really couldn't.

"Lily, you're not listening to me," James says, a serious (no pun here) look on his face.

"James," I start once I finish laughing, "you are being completely and utterly ridiculous."

"I am not being ridiculous. Last Friday the Thirteenth, I tripped thirteen times, I choked three times, nearly cut off my hand…"

"Stop! You're acting like a girl." I know this would hit home. And it does.

"I. Am not. A girl." James says very dramatically for a guy who just claimed that he's not a girl.

"I know you're not, but you need to stop freaking out over this. Everything will be fine," I soothe, trying to refrain from laughing again.

"Fine. Everything will be fine," James says once more, turning to go away. I smile to myself and realize that my heart is beating faster than I even thought possible. This happens a lot now when I'm around James. It won't stop, so I've decided that I won't let it show.

"Oh, and Lily?" James remarks turning back towards me. "I really hope you don't die."

"I won't die, James."

"We'll see."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Um, no. I'm talking about the Friday the Thirteenth gods. Duh," he says awkwardly and stalks off towards his house.

"You're crazy!" I shout at his back. His very good looking back—whoa, that came out of nowhere. I'm just going shut this window now before I thoroughly embarrass myself.

OoOoOoO

A little later, I emerge from my bathroom in a towel. After James left, I decided to swim in the ocean. That didn't turn out to be a great idea. I got saltwater in my eyes. And I swallowed about a gallon of saltwater (when I almost drowned). And when I finally realized that swimming was I bad idea (after cutting my foot on a sharp seashell) I walked to my house and got hit in the head with a Frisbee. Hard. That was not fun. Nor was it fun when I fell forward and received a mouthful of sand.

Maybe James was right about the Friday the Thirteenth gods. Whoa. I'd never thought that I'd say, or at least think, that James was right. Weird.

I walk into my room and shut the door. I think that James and I are going to fly a bit later, so I need to change. Somehow, as I approach my dresser, my foot gets caught on something. I say "something" because I have no idea what I tripped on. Nothing.

But, whatever I tripped on, I go tumbling into my desk, sending the objects on it crashing to the floor. And I scream. Really loudly. Oops.

I just leave the items on the floor (I'm still just in a towel) and grab some clothes. I drop the towel to get the clothes on… and the door bursts open.

"Lily! Please say you're not dead!" James yells, frantically searching my room. "Oh my God."

I scramble to grab my towel again while I scream, "James! Get out!" Oh my God. James is in my room and I'm naked. Help!

He just stands in my doorway, dumbstruck. Could he be anymore of a guy?

At this time, I manage to get my towel (thank the Friday the Thirteenth gods) safely covering…um…everything.

"James, get out of my room."

He stares at me like I'm an alien from another planet. Alright, I know my hair's red, but it's not THAT red. "I heard a bang and then you screamed," he explains, still staring. What, do I have something in my teeth?  
"James, I don't care. Just get out of my room. Now!" I yell when he doesn't move.

"Yeah. Getting out. Now. Sorry," he mumbles, running through the door as if an ogre were chasing him. As soon as he's gone, I slam the door shut and lean all of my weight on it. A deep blush spreads on my face as my mind registers what just happened. This is going to be SO awkward when I see James next.

From now on, I'm changing in the bathroom–where the door actually locks.

OoOoOoO

Once I'm safely dressed, I aimlessly wander around my house for a few hours. I really want to go flying with James–the new broom he got me when we were fighting is amazing–but I'm scared to. It's going to be awkward. Awkward has a whole new meaning now.

After counting how many forks there are in the kitchen (fourteen, my favorite number…oddly), how many picture frames there are in the whole house (eighty-two…a surprisingly high number of frames), and how many toes I have on my left foot (five), I work up the courage to finally go over to James's house. I grab my broom and head over.

I open the back door and walk into the house. Kirsten is sitting on the sofa flipping through a magazine. Sirius (I'm using his first name, too) is in the adjacent kitchen eating a sandwich.

"Hey guys," I say while setting my broom against a wall. "What's up?"

"Allo, Lily," Sirius cheerfully states. "Oh yeah! I have a question I've been meaning to ask you."

"Shoot."

He sighs and exclaims, "If a guy says something in the woods and no one is around to hear him, is he still wrong?"

"Yes," Kirsten and I say at the same time, drawing laughs.

"Are you looking for Jamesiepoo?" Kirsten asks once we stop giggling.

"Yeah, I am. We were going to go flying today," I explain.

"He's upstairs in his room. Alone. Reading a Quidditch book," she says with a sly grin on her face.

I don't think anything of it. "Thanks."

I run up the stairs and go to James's room. I fling open the door and say, "James, come on! We–" I stop abruptly. James is not reading a book. And from the glimpse that I see of him, he's not clothed either. Major oops.

"Ohmygod," I practically scream, turning around and shutting the door. I don't know what to do now. Should I wait for him to change? That would lead to a very embarrassing situation. I should just go.

I start down the hall, and I swear I can hear Kirsten laughing hysterically from downstairs. I make a mental note to kill her the next time I see her. For now, I try to hurry out of the house, but then James comes out of his room. Thankfully, he's dressed. Even though his Quidditch muscles were mighty fine–I have to stop thinking things like that!

"Lily! Hang on a second!" he calls, catching up to me.

As James reaches me, I notice that his shirt is on backwards. I quietly laugh to myself. Then he continues, "Let's just forget about what happened. It was just those stupid Friday the Thirteenth gods playing with us. Okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine," I say, relieved. I'm glad that James has actually matured. This could've been a lot worse. "Let's go flying. I wanna check out that area by those cool rocks by the pier."

"Sounds good."

"Oh," I say suddenly, thinking of something, "could you not say anything about this to Sirius?"

He laughs for a minute, and then says, "Sure. See ya downstairs."

I make my way down to the kitchen and notice that Kirsten isn't reading anymore. In fact, she's not even in the house anymore.

"Where did Kirsten go?" I ask Sirius, who is eating another sandwich.

"I dunno. She didn't say."

"Huh." Operation: Kill Kirsten is going to have to wait.

"I'm ready," James announces, emerging from the stairs.

"Lovely," Sirius snickers sarcastically.

"Let's get outta here," I exclaim, grabbing my broom and soaring out through the door. James follows close behind, and in seconds, we're zooming across the ocean-side. I go first and lead James to the area I want to explore.

The past few days, James and I have searched almost every inch of the Carmel beach. We've never been to the "rocks by the pier" as I have dubbed them. I've heard that these rocks stand tall in the middle of the ocean. I don't know if that is possible, so we're going to check it out.

In about five minutes of wind blowing through my now-tangled hair, I can see the pier stretching in the distance. Changing direction, I turn perpendicular to the shore and go straight out over the water. We slow down as we get closer to the spot where the rocks are supposed to be.

"They should be a little bit farther to the right," James says as we fly along. I nod and continue to search the crashing waters below. Then I spot them

"Look over there," I command, pointing to the distance where I can make out the outline of what I assume are the rocks.

"Let's go."

The specks in the distance turn into detailed wonders as we fly towards the sight. As we approach them, I can't help but be amazed at what lays below me.

"That's amazing," I sigh as I look down. Three enormous rocks jet out of the crashing water. They form a large triangle in the middle of the ocean! I've never seen anything like it!

"Let's get a closer look," James suggests, hovering closer to the ocean. I follow him and we fly towards the spectacular triangle. My amazement heightens as we soar across the imaginary border of the triangle.

But my amazement fades suddenly.

When I fall.

And as I said before, I never fall.

But as soon as I cross the "border," I plummet straight down into the water. It's like my broom suddenly lost its magic. I don't have much time to ponder other explanations because in a second, I hit the water.

I forget about my broom–it is replaceable, unlike me–and try to find James. I saw him fall a split second after I did. We need to get to land. Fear rises in my stomach as I break through the surface into the life-giving air. I know that we're far from the shore. We need help.

While treading water, my eyes frantically search the choppy water for any sign of James. Panic grips me as I don't see him. Where is he? Has he already drowned? Am I alone?

"James!" I call out hopelessly. When I'm about to give up hope, I finally see his head emerge from the water. I swim over to him and grab hold of his arms.

"Lily! Are you okay?" he asks worriedly.

"I'm fine!" I answer, spitting saltwater out of my mouth. "We need to get to land!"  
He appears to be thinking, and then he says, "The rocks! We need to get to a rock! Hold onto me, Lily. Don't let go!"

Together, we manage to swim against the waves. Reaching the closest rock, James hauls himself onto it and helps me up, too. We scramble to the highest part of it to avoid the deadly ocean.

I lie down on the jagged boulder and try to ease my hard breaths. As I lay there, staring at the sky, I realize something. James was right about Friday the Thirteenth after all. The irony is so ridiculous; I can't help but to laugh a little to myself. James doesn't even hear me.

I lean forward and sit next to James side-by-side. I'm ashamed to say that in this life-threatening situation, I find myself thinking about how cute James looks with his hair wet. It's still messy and it sticks up at odd angles, but it looks adorable. Especially the parts that drip water droplets onto his worried face.

And on top of his captivating hair, his wet shirt sticks to his body, hinting the hard muscles underneath it. The muscles I saw only an hour ago.

I guess James notices that I'm staring at him. He turns his head and looks at me, grinning a lopsided smile. We sit in silence, gazing into each other's eyes, until James sighs and decides to speak up.

"So, now what?"

A/N: woot, woot! There's the thirteenth chapter for ya! (And if you didn't catch on, the chapter number is 13 and it's Friday the 13th. Ha ha!) Also, I changed the rating, for obvious reasons.

Also, the rock triangle was kinda like the Bermuda Triangle. That's where that came from. But what will happen next? Will they be saved??? Tune in for next time, when Lily and James battle against their raging emotions (and a feisty Kirsten) to stay alive. (That was really dramatic, but I don't care!!!)

Thanks again to my lovely reviewers! Let's try to pass 200 this time!!!! I'm counting on you! Don't let me down! (Also, be prepared for more of Kirsten in the next chapter…)


	14. The Wonder That is Sirius

A/N: _sigh._ Well, everyone… I just forgot what I was going to type. Whatever.

I'm really sorry about the long wait. Really, I am. Yesterday and today, my school has been canceled because of snow!!! Yay snow!! (excuse the randomness)

Also, last chapter passed 200 reviews!!! Yay reviewers!

Disclaimer: Own this not do I.

**Chapter 14**: The Wonder That is Sirius

"You guys owe me big time for saving your lives," Kirsten sings as we enter the Potter vacation house. James and I are wrapped up in towels, dripping wet. Sitting on a rock for two hours tends to do that to you.

"Whatever," James mumbles, retrieving his wand from the kitchen table. He then generously performs a drying charm on me before drying himself. How gallantly sweet of him! _Whoa there, Lily! Stop those stupid thoughts!_

"Kirsten," I start, sitting on the couch next to the gloating girl, "what were you doing out there anyway?"

"What can I say? I love sailing," she answers. That was completely not the explanation I was expecting. I don't really care though. I've learned to flow with things around Kirsten. Apparently, James still hasn't learned that.

"So you're saying that you happened to be sailing by the exact spot where Lily and I were stranded on a weird rock? And you just swung on by and gave us a lift home?" he inquires.

"Um, yeah," she says, smiling like an idiot. "But you can't exactly 'swing' on a boat." She pauses and mouths to me, "Weirdo!" Then she continues, "What a weird coincidence!"

"Yeah," I mutter, not really paying much attention to what Kirsten is saying. I keep feeling like I'm forgetting something.

"Do you want to explain how you two got stuck on a random rock in the middle of the ocean?" Kirsten wonders, giving me a how-the-hell-did-that-happen-? look.

"Well, we were flying over this rock triangle in the middle of the ocean, and our brooms suddenly lost their magic. We fell into the water and swam onto one of the rocks. After about two hours of waiting, you heroically appeared and saved our wet butts," James explains. I still feel like I'm forgetting something important…

"Wow. I've heard of those triangle rock thingies before," Kirsten says with a very serious tone in her voice. "Only powerful wizards can create them. They're like the muggle Bermuda Triangle, only these, I can't remember the name for them, suck the magic out of things."

"Serious?" I wonder, bewildered.

Out of nowhere, I feel the couch dip down. "You rang?" Count on Sirius to make a random entrance.

"Shut up," I snap at him and turn back to Kirsten. "Do you think Voldemort was behind this?"

"Hah!" Sirius laughs. "Moldy-shorts!" Somehow, he finds this oddly hilarious. I guess the world will never know what goes on in the mind of Sirius Black.

"I don't know," Kirsten says, "but the Ministry should be warned about this." As soon as she says this, she runs out of the room to contact someone from the Ministry of Magic. I'm amazed about how different Kirsten is in a dangerous situation like this. It's like someone flicked a switch in her head. I guess I'm like that whenever I'm flying.

Like a drunken giant passing out, something hits me. My broom. "My broom! It's gone!" I stand up and spin wildly around in circles, flailing my arms. I don't know what to do. James and Sirius look at me like I'm crazy, or on drugs, or something. "It's gone! It's at the bottom of the ocean! Oh my god!" After I calm down a little, I manage to say, "I need to be alone," and I stumble out the door.

I don't know why the broom means so much to me. I guess it was really fast, and pretty, and James gave it to me… That's why! James gave it to me. Right.

As I make my out to my house, I hear Kirsten call from behind me. "Lily!" When she catches up to me, she continues, "Do you want to have a girl's day tomorrow? I mean, no boys, no stress, just fun girly stuff."

I think a little before making a decision. This could end badly. I mean, Kirsten, girly??? I don't think this is possible, but I've only known her for a few days. Anything's possible. Once you almost die in the middle of the ocean because of three rocks, you tend to be a little optimistic.

"Sure," I reply, hoping I won't regret this decision. What's the worst that could happen? As I ponder this, Kirsten gets very excited.

"We can go shopping-Oh! I know this perfect little shop that has the cutest clothes! They'll look amazing on you! And we can do each other's hair and makeup!" Okay, maybe it was an understatement to say that she was just, excited.

I just smile and nod my head… a lot. "Sounds good," I mutter when she finally stops to hear my opinion. I'm scared.

**The next day.**

"Let's go!" Kirsten squeals, pulling me to a car.

"Whoa, you have a car?" I ask in amazement.

"Yeah, James's dad rented it for me for the trip. I don't really know why… Maybe so we could go shopping! How did he know we would use it to go shopping?" She drones on stupidly, and we both get into the lime green Beetle. Kirsten charms it so it drives itself.

"Do you go to Hogwarts?" I ask her as we drive on. "I don't think I've ever seen you there before."

"Actually, I'm going there for my seventh year," she explains. "I got kicked out of Beauxbatons for playing too many pranks on people. Honestly, they weren't that bad! But I'm glad to be gone. I can't stand those frilly girls, only obsessed with themselves. I'm finally free of them!"

At this time, we finally reach the little store that Kirsten told me about. We park the car and enter through the front door. Immediately, I see a load of cute items that I want to purchase. What can I say? I'm a girl, and I'm proud of it!

"Oh my God!" Kirsten squeals, picking up a summer dress from a hanger. "This would look so adorable on you! Try it on!" She throws the green and white dress my way and shoves me into a changing room. She follows and talks to me on the other side of the door.

"So, you really like James, right?"

I silently swear to myself. I thought she forgot about that!

"Uh, excuse me?"

"That's why you got so upset when you saw us… ugh! I still can't believe I hugged that dolt!"

If I stay silent, maybe she'll forget what we were talking about. Hell, maybe she'll forget I'm even here.

"But that's not what we were talking about," Kirsten continues.

"Bullocks," I whisper, sliding the dress over my body.

"It's okay that you like him," Kirsten says. "I mean, he's a good guy… Most of the time."

I mumble in agreement.

"He's really changed, have you noticed? I think he's trying to impress you."

"Really?" I say before I can stop myself. Stupid impulses.

"Yeah. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this," Kirsten promises. "Now, let me see that dress!"

I timidly step out of the dressing room and hear Kirsten gasp. I really do like this dress. It has an interesting flowered pattern of only a grassy green and white. It flows down to just below my knees. The spaghetti-strap sleeves show off my slight sun burnt shoulders (one of the prices of being a redhead). This dress would match perfectly with that necklace that I found on the beach! I almost forgot about that necklace…

"If you don't buy that, I swear I'll dump you back of that rock where I found you."

"Don't worry! I was planning on buying it before that little threat." I smile and go back into the changing room to get my normal clothes back on.

OoOoOoO

About five stores and three more bags of purchased clothes later, Kirsten and I sit in her bathroom. Don't worry, this isn't a regular occurrence. Just because we're girls, doesn't mean that we practically live in the bathroom. Anyone who thinks so will get a punch in the face (from me).

Anyway, we've decided to do each other's hair. And I get to do Kirsten's first.

"I have a bunch of supplies in the cupboard to the left," she says, sitting down at the salon-style area that we conjured in her bathroom. It now looks more like an expensive hair salon than a lavatory. I look in the cupboard that Kirsten pointed out for me. Hmm, shampoo… conditioner… oh mother of chocolate.

Hair dye.

Not just any hair dye.

Blue. Electric blue.

Why does Kirsten have a bottle of electric blue hair dye in her bathroom cupboard? I'll ask questions later. Now, I have some hair to dye. He, he, he…

"You'll love this," I encourage as I rub the dye through Kirsten's black, glossy hair.

"I'm sure I will."

One hour later.

"Here's the new you," I announce, turning Kirsten's chair around so she can see her new blue do. She sees her reflection. I can tell that she's surprised, but she doesn't let it show.

"Nice! You went with the blue. Wicked," she says, playing with her hair. Then she grins evilly. "You know I'm going to have to get you back for this."

I sigh and sit in the salon chair. "Do with me what you will. I don't really care what you do to my hair."

"Good." I feel Kirsten's grin more than I see it. I honestly don't care what she does. I can always charm it back to normal.

"Let's make this more interesting," Kirsten comments, lathering something into my hair.

"Alright." I wonder where this is going.

"I'll swear to wear my hair how you did it until tomorrow if you swear you'll do the same for how I do your hair," she says, smiling.

"Wait, what?" That was confusing.

"Let's keep our hair like this until tomorrow."

"Oh, sure."

One hour later.

"Taa daa!" Kirsten sings, twirling my chair around. I look into the mirror and almost don't recognize myself. My hair is shiny and highlighted. Wavy and glistening.

And blond.

"I've always wondered if blondes really do have more fun," I mutter as Kirsten bursts out into fits of laughter.

"Look at us!" she cries, looking into the mirror. I see her reflection next to mine, and I too erupt into giggles.

"We look ridiculous!"

"I know!"

"Hey," I shout as I have a brilliant idea, "let's go show the guys!"

"James will pass out when he sees you with those gorgeous blond locks," Kirsten teases as we skip out the door. We head down the stairs and find James and Sirius watching television. As they see us, the boys leap to their feet and, to put it bluntly, freak out.

"Whoa. Get out of my house! How did you get in here? Wait, who are you?" James stammers. He obviously doesn't recognize us.

"Take whatever you want! Just don't hurt anyone!" Sirius shrieks, clutching James in fear.

"Calm down you morons!" Kirsten shouts. "It's just us. Kirsten and Lily."

James walks over to stand right in front of me, and Sirius does the same to Kirsten.

"How do we know that you're really who you say you are?" James inquires, tilting his head to the side and staring straight into my eyes.

"What is Kirsten's biggest secret?" Sirius asks Kirsten.

"She's a Metamorphagus," she replies while morphing into Sirius. The sight of two Sirius's makes me yelp in surprise. I don't think the world could handle another Sirius Black.

"Fair enough," Sirius remarks, "you may pass to the living room."

"Nice!"

"Now, you," James says. "What song did I sing to Lily on her birthday last year?"

"Uh, Happy Birthday." What a stupid question.

"Damnit."

"If I remember correctly," I continue, "it was a very traumatic experience."

"New question: what is Lily's biggest secret?"

Hmm, that I really like James Potter. Can't really tell him that though… "I'm not telling you that!"

"Aha! So you are a Lily imposter!" he shouts. Kirsten and Sirius watch from the couch, thoroughly enjoying this little show.

"No I'm not!"

"Fine. One more question: why did Lily dye her beautiful red hair?"

Wow. Not a question I was expecting.

"I didn't do it. Kirsten did it in revenge since I dyed hers blue."

James tries to keep a straight face, and fails miserably. Soon, everyone in the room is laughing hysterically. When the cackles die down, James asks, "It's not permanent, is it?"

Before I can answer, Sirius yells, "I can fix it!" Then he waves his wand, says a charm, and my hair is its normal dark red color again. He does the same for Kirsten, and her blue hair returns to its shiny blackness. We all stare at him in silence, utterly amazed at his…well, his hair skill.

"Padfoot, mate, what was that?" James asks, dumbfounded like the rest of us.

"Remember in fourth year, when we'd dye each other's hair different colors every week as pranks or dares? Well, I got really good at hair color charms…"

"Right," Kirsten mumbles sarcastically as I marvel at the wonder that Sirius is.

"It's true!" he whines. "Prongs, tell them!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," James says. "And I would like to keep it that way."

As they two friends argue, I flop down beside Kirsten on the sofa.

"I guess our hair agreement thing is over," she remarks, smirking at the boys.

"Yeah."

"Well, that was fun."

I follow Kirsten's gaze over to James and Sirius, who are still bickering. "How long do you think that will last?"

"I dunno. A few hours, maybe."

"Cool. Do you want to order a pizza?"

"Sure."

A/N: Well, that's that. Sorry if that chapter seemed dull, but the main purpose was to show Kirsten and Lily bonding. Yeah.

You all should know by now that I really like reviews. Reviews make for a happy writer, and a happy writer makes for faster updates, and faster updates make for happy readers. So reviewing is good for everyone!

Also, PrincessKiri14 and I wrote a little one shot called **Blame it on the Rain**. It's absolutely hilarious, so check it out and review!


	15. You Told Her That!

A/N: So, I know this is bad, but I can't remember when I last posted. That's probably a bad sign…

Anywho, thanks a bunch for the reviews. And, those who checked out **Blame it on the Rain** and reviewed, you get props. Give yourselves a big hunk of chocolate.

Also, one-sirius-niece, I can't really have a romantic chapter when James and Lily aren't together…yet (hint hint). Hopefully, this will count as one (though at the moment, I don't know what I'm going to type… That's the beauty of this story! He he he!).

"The only true wisdom is in knowing that you know nothing." -Socrates

Disclaimer- Do we still have to go over this??? (if so, see chapter 14)

**Chapter 15**: You Told Her That!

"Hey, James. What's up?" I greet Jamsiepoo (that still makes me laugh). A about a week and a half has passed since the "Hair Incident." That week and a half has been filled with flying, food, relaxation, and craziness. What else is there to expect?

James's reaction to my simple question is simply not what I expected.

"Uh, um, ah," he mumbles, staring at me in an odd way. Then, he turns around and practically sprints back to his house.

"What's wrong with James?" Kirsten wonders as she emerges from the Potter's vacation house. "I said 'hi' to him and he looked at me like I was crazy." She shakes her head silently.

"I honestly don't know. The same thing just happened to me."

"He's a weird one."

"You can say that again."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Never mind." Kirsten can be so dense sometimes.

"So, what do you wanna do?" Kirsten asks, clearly bored.

"Uh, do you want to play some Frisbee?" I suggest hopefully. Give me a Frisbee, and I'll automatically have a good time.

"Sure!" she exclaims as I do my happy I'm-going-to-Frisbee dance. Yes, that's right. I have a happy Frisbee dance. Deal with it. "Let's get the guys to play too! We could have teams!"

We run to the house and scream at the James's open window. I'm pumped with the thought of playing Ultimate Frisbee. "JAMES!! SIRIUS!! GET YOUR BUTTS DOWN HERE NOW!" I bellow.

After that little display, Kirsten smirks. "That was impressive."

"Thanks."

Sirius then shows up and strolls out the door. He stops and looks behind him. Sighing, he then goes back into the house. Kirsten and I share a look as Sirius reemerges, dragging James along with him. I can hear them whispering.

"Come on, Prongs. She won't bite," Sirius encourages. Hmmm, who is this, "she"?

"I don't know, Padfoot," James whines.

"Oh, suck it up. Stop being such a pansy." By this, they are facing us.

"Do you guys want to play some Ultimate Frisbee with us?" I ask.

"Sure!" Sirius exclaims.

"NO!" James shouts. He then makes a run for it, and hides out in his house again.

We stare at the footprints in the sand for a few seconds. "That was weird," Kirsten mutters, and Sirius and I nod in agreement.

"Well, let's get our Frisbee on!" I yell enthusiastically. With only three people, we can't do teams like I had hoped. Instead, we form a triangle and pass to one another. This soon gets very boring. I decide to liven it up a bit.

After Kirsten passes it to me, I charm the Frisbee and throw it in the opposite direction of where Sirius is. "Oops," I mutter innocently. "Sorry!"

"Don't worry about it!" Sirius calls as he chases it. But then, the Frisbee swerves and speeds up. It's heading straight for Sirius. Ha!

As he notices the flying object coming after him, Sirius immediately changes direction and runs for his life. "AHHHH!" he screams (like a girl (making Kirsten and I laugh hysterically)) and continues to run around like a headless chicken.

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!!" he yelps, causing me to laugh even harder. I didn't even know that was physically possible.

Sirius has stopped running now, and I see that he's holding a large piece of wood. I guess he found it on the beach. He's holding it like a beater's club with a mad look in his eyes. As the Frisbee reaches him, Sirius whacks it to the ground. He then continues to beat it while Kirsten and I run up to him.

"DIE FRISBEE!!! DIE!!!!!"

"SIRIUS!" Kirsten screams, making him stop. "It's over now. It can't hurt you an-y-m-more…" She can't finish the sentence because we've both cracked up into fits of laughter.

"Laugh all you want," Sirius says, panting, "but I will get you back for this!" He then walks off into the Potter's house.

OoOoO

Later that day, Kirsten, Sirius, and I are hanging out in the Potter's kitchen. It's weird, we never hang out at my house… just at James's. Weird.

In speaking of James, he's still MIA. He's been acting strange all day. I wonder what his deal is.

Well, I'm hungry, so Kirsten and I are making sandwiches. Sirius is watching television (a muggle invention that he finds highly entertaining) and smirking oddly. One thing I've noticed: Sirius smirks a lot. He has some kind of obsession, or something.

Anywho, we're about to divulge into our delicious sandwiches…when cockroaches crawl out of them.

"EEEEEEEKKKKK!" we scream in unison, dropping the sandwiches on the floor and leaping onto the counter. Sirius laughs his over-sized head off while I regain my composure. I grab my wand and make the sandwiches, and the roaches, disappear.

It was a good prank, I'll admit, but Kirsten doesn't seem too happy right now.

"BLACK! That was the stupidest stunt you've ever pulled! What if I had eaten a cockroach? Huh? I could have died! That was utterly ridiculous and stupid! I'm going to kill you! And then I'll…"

As Kirsten continues to scream, I wonder what else Kirsten could do to Sirius after she's killed him. Sirius and I both roll our eyes dramatically, since Kirsten seem like she'll never stop. When she finally does, we both say, "What?"

"What, what?" she replies.

"Huh?" I mutter.

"Never mind," Kirsten mumbles.

"You see, Kirsten," Sirius dramatically says, "that is one of your character flaws. You extend things. I, like everything said short, sweet, and to the point." He's obviously kidding, but Kirsten plays along.

"How so?"

"Like, 'Kirsten is annoying,'" he states.

"Or, 'Kirsten is crazy,'" I add.

"Lily is queer," Sirius continues.

"Sirius is weird," I counter.

"McGonagall is smokin'!"

"James is strange!"

"James loves Lily!"

"James, wait, what?" I stammer, a small smile forming on my face.

"Oops," Sirius sighs and runs up the stairs. I guess he's telling James of his little slip-up. Kirsten and I stand there for a few seconds, and soon hear:

"YOU TOLD HER THAT!!!!"

A deep blush spreads on my face. Kirsten looks like her face is going to spit in two from all the smiling she's done. This is embarrassing.

"I have to, um, water my, ah, bed," I falter and run out of the house. Unfortunately, Kirsten is right behind me.

"You can't get rid of me that easily!" she calls as she follows me all the way to my bedroom. I flop onto my bed (that apparently needs watering), and Kirsten sits in a chair across from me.

"So," she starts, "what are you going to do about this?"

"About what?" I ask, avoiding answering.

"Do I have to spell it out for you? You obviously like James-" She stops and I give a defeated mumble of agreement, "-and James clearly likes you. What are you going to do about it? Oy! Lily! I'm talking to you!"

I don't answer her. Instead, my eyes find my mystical notebook (that happens to be pink!) that I have abused lately. I haven't talked to Afhton in ages! I really need her now.

"Lily?" Kirsten asks in a freaked out tone. "Why are you eyeing that notebook like a piece of chocolate?"

I ignore her question and grab a pen, but something is already written there.

_LILY! Are you okay? What's wrong? Speak to me!_

**How did you know something was wrong??? Can you read my mind? (That would be so cool!)**

_No, my Potter-did-something-bad-to-Lily senses were tingling. What did he do?_

I take a deep breath. This is going to take a lot of explaining. In a record of only five minutes, I explain to Kirsten about Afhton and this notebook, to Afhton about Kirsten being Kristen, my crush on James, and the whole coincidence thing. Oh yeah, and the fact that he might like me too.

And Afhton's reaction to this is:

_Finally! I thought you would never get together!_

**What?**

_Never mind. What are you going to do about this?_

I just asked her this question. Ooo! I can't wait to hear the answer. The suspense is killing me!

**Kirsten! When did you join this conversation?**

After the bit about Black falling out of the window.

**Oh. I didn't even notice.**

It's nice to know that I'm being appreciated.

**That's not what I meant.**

I know, I'm just teasing you. You know, pulling your leg.

**That's such a weird phrase. Does anybody actually pull on someone's leg?**

I don't know. I bet Black has tried though…

_Thank you for that, now back to Earth please! Lily, I think you should tell him how you feel. You know he likes you…_

**But what if it's just a big prank?**

_Lily, get a grip. This boy has loved you since first year. How many times has he asked you out?_

**730.**

Whoa, you've kept track?

…**I guess I have. Why have I kept track all of these years?**

_Because you like him!_

I can just picture Afhton singing this and dancing around the room. I know her too well.

**We've already established this. The question is, does James really like me?**

_YES!_ Whoa, they wrote that in unison. Wicked.

**Fine. You both win. I'll tell him how I feel. But first, I'm going for a run. Toodles!**

_Kisses!_

Later, Lily. Wait, why am I writing this? I'm right next to you!

"Later, Lily," Kirsten says, out loud.

"I'll be back," I state dramatically. That would be a good line in a movie…

OoOoO

After my run, I feel completely better. I had time to think, and now I know exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to walk right up to James, and tell him that I like him. Okay, maybe that sounded a tad overconfident. I'm SCARED!!!

Well, before I do anything, I'm going to take a shower. I'm all sweaty and smelly and gross…

"Lily!" I hear James call, walking towards my house. Bullocks! He can't see me like this! How am I supposed to confess my feelings if I smell like Black's socks after a Quidditch match (trust me, you don't wanna smell those things. EW!).

So I decide to run away. Very courageous, I know.

On my trek around to the other side of my house, I run into Kirsten.

"Hey, Lily," she says coolly, "James is looking fo-"

"Shh!" I interrupt. "I need your help!"

"Your will is my command." She tries to inject some humor into this drastic situation, but she fails miserably.

"James is looking for me, and I'm all sweaty and smelly and gross!" I whisper-shout (a new method of talking that I just invented. You whisper, but have the tone of a shout. Sweet, I know).

"Don't worry," Kirsten soothes, "I've got it covered." With that, she morphs into a not sweaty, smelly, or gross me. She even dressed…um… me in that green and white dress that I bought.

"Kir, the dress is a bit much," I point out.

"But there's nothing you can do about that!" she sings and skips around the corner.

I follow behind and hide in a bush. I can clearly see me talking to James. But I can't hear what they're saying. I make out the words: dress, you, and like. Bugger! At times like these, I really wish I could lip-read!

Suddenly, Kirsten goes rigid. She then turns around and runs to where I'm hiding.

"What happened?" I ask as Kirsten gains her breath. She's still in my form, and I feel weird talking to myself. I soon forget about it, though, because of what she says next.

"He just confessed his feelings for you and asked you on a date," she whispers.

"So, what did you say?" A feeling of dread sweeps through me when Kirsten doesn't answer.

She finally takes a deep breath and says, "Nothing. I did the only thing I could think of: I ran for it."

"Kirsten!" I yell and jump up. "Now he'll get the wrong idea!" Oops. That might have been a bit too loud. James looks over and sees two Lilys.

"Kirsten?" he asks, surprised. We're both stuck, not moving like a pair of deer in the headlights.

"What do we do?" I whisper, staring at James still.

"RUN AWAY!" she bellows and drags me into my house, locking the door.

A/N: I would like to say that the "short, sweet, and to the point" conversation was adapted from one that happened in my math class. Gotta love that algebra 2. Also, PrincessKiri14, thanks for not being able to lip-read.

Also, many thanks to all of my lovely reviewers: cylobaby, one-sirius-niece, Gohan'slittlebro47, firnoviel, Fayth G, moonlighthaku, meee, 100-percent-Harry-Potter-obsessed, Hehehe etc, MoonlitClarity, piggy396, RavieGrint, marauders rox, LeonaKat, Shanene, and Lady Potter of Tortall.

So, what will happen next??? Keep reading, stay tuned, and you'll find out!

And don't forget to REVIEW!!!


	16. The Takeover

A/N: so, it's been a while… I know you've all been waiting for this chappy, so here it is! It's a little bit different, for kicks, so yeah.

Disclaimer- still, this is not mine.

**Chapter 16: **The Takeover

This is really hilarious. Seriously, I don't think I've ever seen anything as funny as Lily and James trying to confess their feelings for one another. It's truly funny.

Oh yeah. You've probably noticed that I referred to Lily. That is because the wonderful Kirsten Ofelia Estella Lakisha Bumquisha Potter is takin' over this story for a bit. You, people of the world, have front row seats for the James and Lily show! (Applause)

For those just tuning in, James has been in love with Lily since he could talk. I don't know why… That girl is three kinds of crazy. But the why doesn't matter. What's important is that James loves the flower and she has just realized her love for the dolt. Now, you people might think this isn't funny in any way (in fact, some may think it's rather romantic… ugh), but you don't know the lovely couple like I do. And you can't watch them as they desperately try to avoid one another.

And why is the happy pair avoiding one another? Well, that's kinda my fault (don't be too surprised). Lily was sweaty and nasty when James was going to ask her out, so I (being the amazing friend that I am) morphed into Lily and talked to James for her. But, here's the rub: I really want a back rub. Mmm, that would be nice. Oops, sorry. The real rub is this: I didn't know that James was trying to ask her on a date. So when he did, I was naturally surprised. The boy is my cousin, you know. As a result of this surprise, I ran for my life, forgetting to give James an answer. When I told the flower this, she got her knickers in a twist and practically bit my head off. So James knows that he just asked out his own cousin, and that the girl he's trying to confess his feelings to already knows it from somebody else, and said girl is very embarrassed and ashamed about this.

Got it?

So now that this is all summed up, on with the show!

"Hey Lilyflower! What's crackalackin'?!?" I ask Lily using my oh-so-awesome ghetto voice. I just took the exhausting journey across deserts of endless sand to get from my house to Lily's. Sure, it was only a few feet, but I am exhausted!

"You know that ghetto voice that you have?" She stops, and I nod casually. "It doesn't work." Oh.

"You're just jealous…" I mutter to myself. She just doesn't know what cool is.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I'm kind of in the middle of a mental breakdown!" she shouts exasperatedly in my face. Only one person on this planet can cause a girl (who is not related to him) this kind of pain.

James Marion Potter.

Oh yeah, that is James's real middle name. How embarrassing! (If I were a compassionate and caring cousin, I would keep that a secret. But, seeing as I'm not, I've got one word for you all: BLACKMAIL!!!)

What was I saying??? Lily's crazy… back rub… Marion…

I don't know.

"Kirsten? Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Your face."

"Ha ha. Hilarious. Really. I'm rolling on the floor. Now can you please help me?"

"With what?"

"JAMES!!!

"Oh," I mumble. Um, what should I say? "You know, I can't really give you advice on how to ask my cousin out."

"Argh! You are hopeless!" With that, Lilykins storms out of her house and onto the beach. In the miracle of all miracles, Jamsiepoo happens to be emerging from his fortress at the exact same time. Let us follow behind and watch as the rare James beast attempts to court the wild Lily.

As I make for coverage in the bushes, I spot the dolt striding towards the flower. I completely conceal myself in the lovely bush (that smells like mangoes… a delicious fruit and a very fun word to say. Mango mango mango mango mango… after a while, it loses it's meaning. Pity). Now, back to the wild kingdom.

The James continues to walk towards the Lily. Apparently, he does not realize that he's about to come one-on-one with a dangerously crazy predator. They're about to collide! The anticipation is so intense, I think I'm going to pass out.

…

…

…

Nope. I'm okay.

A kind of strangled scream escapes from the mouth of the James. He's finally noticed the predator looming so very close to him. Her red mane swirls around her face in the wind. She examines a sharp fingernail that could easily kill a James. Her sharp incisors glisten in the sunlight. He is quick to recover, though, and starts the mating ritual.

"What are you doing here?"

James clearly missed the Learning to Woo a Crazy Person 101 at school. (Ooo! Woo is a good one too! WOO!) And what kind of question is that? The Lily obviously is familiar with this habitat. She LIVES here, you dolt!

Luckily, the Lily ignores that outburst, and adds another element to this tango (that rhymes with mango).

"I chew my ice cream," she states proudly. "Do you chew your ice cream?"

How this crazy person thought of that particular comment to say at that particular time, the world may never know.

As the two beasties stare each other down, I decide to take action. This is just too pathetic to watch. I sadly abandon my wildlife adventure to try to put a stop to this madness.

"What's crackalackin' my cousin from another mother?" I inquire, casually emerging from my mango bush. Mmm, mango.

"Kirsten, the ghetto voice doesn't work for you," my evil and insanely jealous cousin mutters in my direction. They're all just jealous of me!

"So," I continue, draping my arms over the two lovebirds, "what's on the schedule for this lovely day?"

Cricket… cricket…

Instead of listening to this extremely uncomfortable silence, I let my mind wander freely. My gaze shifts to the ocean. Hmm, I wonder how much ocean water is absorbed in a baby's diaper… Could the ocean ever be sucked dry from all of those babies and their bottoms?

"That would be a lot of diapers," I mumble to myself. Oh, mumble is a good word too. Mumble mumble mumble.

Uh oh. James and Lily are staring at me like I'm a crazy person. Well, they would know.

"What?" I snap at them. As they continue to stare blankly at me, I add, "So, what are we doing today?"

"We could…"

"Um…"

"Oh! Never mind…"

"Uh…"

"Snore," I interrupt the endless dot, dot, dots. "You lot are awfully boring."

"I've got to help my mum with–" Lily begins a lame excuse as James interrupts.

"Yeah, me too. I mean, not your mum, Lily. My mum. And dad," James stammers with a lack of eloquence. They then take off in a mad flurry to return to their respective castles.

Well, that was enlightening. And I happen to know for a fact that both Potter parents are out for the day. James is a liar, liar, pants on fire.

Okay, the way I see it, I have two options here. I could:

Go and talk some sense into Lilyflower.

Go and knock some sense into Jamsiepoo (with lots of violence)

Or ignore them both and watch the awkwardness between them.

(I guess that would be three options, then. Oops.)

Alas! I have made up my mind! To James's it is!

James is a weird person. His whole life is kind of ironic. I mean, everyone at his school thinks he is such a lady's man. But that is not true at all. He has to be the most nervous person I have met when it comes to talking to a girl he likes. I find that kinda funny, though I don't really know why.

I reach the door and stroll into the kitchen. At first, I can't see James. Then I spot him pacing in the kitchen. Ooo, goodie! He's talking to himself! No, it's even better… he's arguing with himself!

"Just do it, James! Just walk up to her and say it!

"But what if she laughs at me?

"You'll never know until you try!

"But you really love this girl! What if I blow it?

"You won't blow it! You know that she likes you!

"Fine, I'll just do it!" With that, he storms to the door where I am hiding. He's about to see me, but he turns around and walks back into the kitchen muttering, "I can't do this."

"James Marion Potter, you are the biggest wimp I have ever met!" I laugh, emerging from my hiding spot. James's face pales at the sound of his middle name.

"You swore you'd never say that in public," he growls.

"Say what?" I ask myself. "You mean, Marion? Oh, I guess I lied… "

"Kirsten, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to knock some sense into you!" I yell at him, grabbing a pillow from the couch and pounding it into his big, over-inflated head.

"You"–SMACK–"are"–SMACK–"the"–SMACK–"biggest"–SMACK–"pansy"–SMACK–"ever!" I scream as I whack him repeatedly over the head. Hmm, whack is a good word too. Whack, whack, whack.

Oh no he didn't.

My weapon has just been hijacked. I guess James took advantage of my KPD (Kirsten Potter Disorder). Sod.

And the games begin (with an awesomely awesome commentary by me!)

The more awesome Potter (me) quickly runs around the slow, stupid Potter (James) to safely hide behind the kitchen counter. It doesn't appear that she has ammunition… oh wait! She grabs the food on the counter and performs a perfectly executed hook shot to hit the pansy Potter in the face. Ouch! That looks like it hurt!

What else does the amazing Potter have up her sleeves? I'm telling you, Albus, it doesn't look good for the dumb Potter…

Look at that! Cool Potter, armed with food, does a flawless somersault to take shelter behind the couch. The crazy Potter (okay, they're both crazy. The crazier Potter is more accurate) is running for the couch. It appears that he is going to jump it! The glorious Potter sees him coming and grabs some pillow ammunition. He's running… and the leap!

Ooo! It looks like the ugly Potter has overshot his mark and has flown into the wall! Will he get up? Oh yes, he does! He calmly collects himself and stands up with his hands in the air.

"I surrender," he gasps, panting. But it appears that the beautiful Potter is not done yet.

She flings the pillow with perfect spin, so it connects with his face.

"Go and talk to Lily!" the better Potter yells. She stands up and adds, "Now, I'm done."

That was fun. Since the battle is obviously over, I end my awesome commentary and walk over to see Lily (since James doesn't appear to be moving).

I find myself, once again, taking the long and dangerous trek across the desert. I don't know why I keep putting up with this. I should just ignore the both of them, and then they'll live their lives without each other. Forever.

Well, that sounds awfully depressing. Damn conscience. Go away! I don't want you!

This isn't working. So, I'm off to see Lily!

As I walk the twenty or so feet to Lily's, I ponder what other commentaries I could do. I've done a TV show, a wildlife safari, sport's commentary…

Aha! The good ol' news!

Good evening everybody! My name is Kirsten Ofelia Estella Lakisha Bumquisha Potter reporting for Hogwarts News. I am now on scene in Carmel, California, where Lily Evans and James Potter are battling against their raging emotions to stay alive in this desert. I am also fighting for my life. Right now, I'm about to pass out from dehydration.

…

…

…

Nope. I'm a-okay. I just had to burp.

I'm about to enter the residence of one of our subjects, Lily Evans.

I'm going in (Black, make sure your getting this on film!).

"Hey Lily-billy! How are you holding up against those darn emotions that you possess?" She seems a little bit shocked by my question.

"Wha?" she asks articulately.

"What are you planning to do in this situation?"

"Huh?"

"Lily Evans, is it true that you have intense feelings for James Marion Potter?"

She pauses for a moment and smiles. "Marion?"

"Forget that. How are you handling this emotional blow?"

Oops. I think I went too far.

"Will you stop it with the news report! I need help!" Lilypop vents in my face.

"Did I really sound like a reporter?" Wow. That's so cool!

"Yeah, it was good," she remarks. "But what should I do about James?"

It's time to be serious (ugh, I thought I would never say that). Lily needs my help. And James needs a lot of help (on many different levels).

It is getting dark outside; I can see the sunset through Lily's bedroom window. I then think up a glorious plan. Okay, it's not that great, but it should be effective.

"Okay, Lily, just go hang out on the beach. I'll get James to meet you there," I declare. Lily looks really uncomfortable. "Don't worry. James may be a moron, but he's a moron that likes you a lot."

With that, I turn and run all the way across the grueling dust bowl. When I see that Lily is on the beach, I head inside.

"Jamsiepoo?" I call in my sweet/nice voice.

"Yes, Kirsten?" he answers.

I prepare my puppy dog eyes. "My umbrella fell over on the beach, and I can't lift it. Could you please fix it for me?"

"Sure," he mutters, heading for the door. And now to watch as my glorious plan unfolds.

Just as I planned, James sees Lily sitting all by herself on the beach and instantly forgets about my "umbrella." I don't even have an umbrella. James is such a sap.

I move in closer so that I can hear them.

"Hey, Lily," James greets. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," replies Lily.

Oh my cheese whiz. They're actually having a normal conversation. Can I get an amen?

AMEN!

"Lily," James continues, "there has been something I've been meaning to tell you."

He's going to tell her! Can I hear you say halleluiah?

HALLELUIAH!

"Yes, James?"

"I really like you, Lily. I have for a long time. And it would make me extremely happy if you would agree to go out with me."

If I were a sappy romantic chick like all of those Beauxbatons freaks, I would probably be crying about now. But, I'm not, so let's move on.

"James, I really like you too. And I would love to go out with you."

It has finally happened. Can I get another amen?

AMEN!

The twosome continues to chat for a while, and I once again let my mind wander. I should get an award for my good deed. I just made the world a better place for love. I really did!

I pause for a moment, and I can hear James ask, "Do you really chew your ice cream?"

Now, Lily and James can live their lives together forever. I can only assume that they'll get married, have a bunch of little crazy kids, and die together when they're, like, one million years old.

And they won't have anymore of those random, insane outbursts of awkward conversation.

"Oh, Lily, are you cold? Do you want my jacket?" James inquires with care.

"No, that's okay. I like being cold. It's so warm," Lily declares confidently.

I don't know how those two survive at school. They are psycho!

Well, you've been a lovely audience! Thank you, New York City! (And all of those other places) I'll be here all week! (Actually, I'll be here all summer, but just as another character) Rock and roll!

A/N: whoopee! They're together!!!!! (And if you didn't catch on, Kirsten did a rock concert thingy at the end… she's crazy!)

Kirsten, if you weren't as crazy and insane as you are, I would have nothing to write about. That's a fact.

REVIEWERS!!! I love you all! Thankee so very much! Kudos to:

Cylobaby, gonkey, marauders rox, Weezer Girl, Lexy Granger, PrincessKiri14, piggy396, ReadingRobyn, Xx-BlueFox-xX, Lady Potter of Tortall, Steph, LeonaKat, 100-percent-Harry-Potter-obsessed, Gohan'slittlebro47, one-sirius-niece, 4ever4given, RavieGrint, firnoviel, and Elizabeth.

IMPORTANT!!!! In your reviews, or PMs, or whatever, send me your favorite phrase. It can be anything you want (a random quote from a movie, a friend, a book, or a funny catch phrase, whatever!), and I'll try my best to use it somewhere in the next chapter. Send me some good stuff!


	17. The Rubber Duckies vs The Herd of Cows

A/N: Hey people! Sorry for the very, very, very long wait, but I've been extremely busy. That is actually true! I had a glorious musical (little shop of horrors), and rehearsal everyday until ten at night! Then I had to scrub all of the hideous stage makeup off of my face. Ugh! It was awesome, though.

And now I've realized that you all could probably care less about what I've been doing these past few weeks. So, on with chapter 17.

And in case you were wondering, this is not going to be their first date… don't be too disappointed, that will be in the next chapter. I think I want to take the story to 30 chapters… I'm not quite sure. Don't hold me to that.

Also, Sirius was going to have been gone this chapter, but with all of the crazy quotes that I received, there is no way that Sirius could not be a part of this chapter.

Wow… this is really long… sorry.

Disclaimer- I own Kirsten, the insanely insane crazy person, and Afhton, who only appears in a bright pink magical book. The rest belongs to someone that is not me (the lovely and glorious JK). My life seems very pathetic right about now.

**Chapter 17: **The Rubber Duckies vs. The Herd of Cows

"So I accidentally charmed the four of us so we say whatever pops into our heads randomly," Sirius explains in a little meeting that everyone is having on the beach. I just accidentally told my mother that her new hairstyle looked like a run-over squirrel attached to her head. I didn't mean to say that, naturally, and now I have a really good reason to kill Sirius.

"Padfoot," James starts, but I don't listen. Now every time I see a certain dark haired boy, I can only think about how he likes ME!

"I'm so lucky!"

Bullocks. Why is everyone looking at me like I'm crazy?

Did I just say that out loud?

Kirsten and Sirius giggle, causing me to believe that I truly did say that out loud. And to make it worse, my face now resembles a tomato.

"She's so cute when she's embarrassed…" James mutters to himself.

"What was that, Jamsiepoo?" Kirsten attacks, "You think Lilybear is cute?"

It's James's turn to become crimson.

"I didn't say anything."  
"Yes you did!" Sirius exclaims, leaping into the air.

"I did not!" James retaliates, jumping up as well.

"Did to!"

"Did not."

"Did!"

"Didn't!"

Kirsten moves so she is sitting beside me, and we can watch this lovely show. "Ya know, you should never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level."

"Which one are you calling an idiot?" I ask with a smirk.

"I. Don't. Know."

"DID!"  
"DIDN'T!"

Out of the blue, James whips out his wand. I think they are going to duel!

There's a slight problem with dueling:

Sirius gropes around in his clothing (in a very odd and humiliating fashion), but he cannot find his wand. So instead, he picks up a pebble.

"James is too sweet to curse someone who doesn't have a wand," I mumble dreamily.

"Ew. Keep all of that lovey dovey crap to yourself," Kirsten spats.

"Um, that's kind of impossible since genius Sirius cursed us all!"

"Oh, right."

James and Sirius stare at each other, both still and ready for a confrontation. Finally, after a long staring contest, someone speaks up.

"Let's fight the old fashioned way," Sirius starts. "Without weapons."

"You mean, you'll put down your rock and I'll put down my sword, and we'll try to kill each other like civilized people?" James says seriously, holding his wand out, ready to drop.

"Be prepared to take a beating…" Sirius threatens.

"Dudes," Kirsten interrupts before I get to watch my totally gorgeous almost-boyfriend beat up his best friend, "Your wand is NOT a sword, and that pathetic pebble cannot be described as a rock." She stands up and morphs into James, holding a tooth pick. "Look at me! I'm Jamsiepoo and I have a sword!" Kirsten proceeds to dance around everyone, pretending to fight with her "sword."

"Is that really what my hair looks like from the back?" James asks in a panicked voice.

"Yep."

"Aw," he whines and sits down next to a newly-seated Sirius.

"She speaks poniards and every word stabs," James mutters randomly.

"Yes she does!" Sirius shouts. "Wait, what's a poniard?"

"Never mind."

"So," I say, standing up and walking around, "what are we doing today?"

"We could do housework." Sirius stuns us all by suggesting this.

We all start laughing, and Kirsten manages to joke, "Housework can't kill you, but why take the chance?"

That causes us all to laugh again. In an act of severe clumsiness, James trips over Sirius (who is laying on the ground, though I don't know why), and smacks right into me. I, in turn, tumble over and take Kirsten down with me. As a result, I end up flying into a pile of wet sand, getting brown stuff all over my shirt.

Sirius sees us all a tangle of arms and legs, and starts laughing his head off. "Prongs is such a klutz!"  
"I am not clumsy. I'm just accident prone," he defends.

"Whatever you call it, you're crushing me!" Kirsten shouts. I now take the time to realize that I am, in fact, currently lying on top of one James Potter.

"You're comfy," I say and instantly clap my hand over my mouth. "I just said that out loud, didn't I?"

"Yep."

"Perfect." I sigh in defeat and whack my head on James's chest.

"Uh, love-birds?" Kirsten interrupts. "Are you going to get up?"

We mumble our complaints and stumble into a standing position. It's now about noon, and the sun is drying the wet sand on my shirt. I still have to change, though.

"I'll be back," I mutter and run into my house. I quickly change my shirt, but since it's laundry day, I have little to choose from. I don't really care, and I sprint back outside.

As I reach the three extremely crazy people on the beach, they stare at me like _I'm _crazy. It's kinda freaking me out.

"What did you do, break yourself?" I ask cynically.

"Love the shirt, Lils," Sirius giggles. That's right, Sirius Black giggled. But that's not what I'm concerned about. I look down at my shirt and see what it says:

I'm hot, you're not.

Oh my chocolate frogs.

I'm too stunned to realize that I have no idea where this shirt came from. It's definitely not mine…

"This is your doing, isn't it," I demand, talking to the female Potter in front of me.

"Uh…yep!" she exclaims.

"This means war," I grimace, putting on my "You're Going DOWN" face.

"Fine. Teams?"

"Sure."

"Sirius," Kirsten says, "you're on Lily's team."

"But I want to be with you!" Sirius whines.

"But I want to be with Lily!" James mocks.

"No, Jamsie!" Kirsten shouts, clinging to his arm. She just doesn't want to have to deal with Sirius's craziness.

"Come to the dark side! We have cookies! Luke! I am your mother!" Sirius screams dancing around. Well, that was random.

"Fine, you can be with Lily," Kirsten sighs in defeated.

As we stand next to our respective partners, I whisper to James, "What do you want our team name to be?"

"You smell like mangoes," James sighs in a daze. What a weird team name…

"James, that name kinda sucks."

"What?"

"The 'you smell like mangoes' team doesn't really sound, ya know, good," I explain. And then his face turns bright red.

"That wasn't my idea." He stops and looks at the sand, "I was just saying that you smell like mangoes…"

After Kirsten's adventure in the mango bush, she pointed it out to me. I immediately purchased a new mango shampoo, explaining the smell. I'm so glad that James likes it! (That sounded totally obsessive)

"Rubber duckies?" He asks me, looking up into my eyes.

"I smell like rubber duckies?" He's weird.

"NO!" James shouts a little too quickly. Do I really smell like rubber duckies? "How about 'Rubber Duckies' as our name?"

"Oh. Sure."

"Your name totally blows," Kirsten taunts, joining this odd conversation. "We're the 'Herd of Cows.'"

"Dashing."

"And so the games begin…"

OoOoO

James and I are now pacing around in my room. We can't seem to think up of any good prank ideas. It's really pathetic.

"How about we… no, that would never work," James mutters.

"We could get some toilet paper- that is so stupid though," I groan.

"What if we-" he stops as he sees something shining on my dresser. "That necklace is really pretty. The emeralds are the exact color of your eyes. They don't shine as much, but…" His voice fades as he can't find the words, and he doesn't finish the sentence.

"Thanks. That's really sweet."

"No problem." A slightly awkward silence fills the room, and James thankfully changes the subject. "So, what about a prank?

"We could- argh!" I sigh and flop down onto my bed. Much to my pleasure, James flops to lay right beside me.

"You know," James starts, turning onto his side to look at me, "your ceiling is really shiny."

"Thank you!" I exclaim, oddly proud of this. "My mom made me clean it the other day."

"Awesome."

Somehow in the next few seconds, my head ends up on James's chest. Not that I'm complaining, I'm just so happy at the moment that the last few seconds have been temporarily erased from my memory, and I sound really stupid explaining this to myself.

Anyway, my head is on James's firm, but very soft and warm chest…

"You make a nice pillow."

"Thank you muchly."

I suddenly sit up with a brilliant idea. "Banana hammock!!!" Whoa. "Sorry. I don't know where that came from…"

"S'all right. Carry on."

"I have an idea. We'll need balloons, paint, and a fence." A sly grin now covers my face.

"Well," James exclaims, sitting up with me, "it's a good thing I'm a wizard, then."

As we trek down stairs to find the other team, I get hit in the face with a paper airplane. James picks it up and opens it. It reads:

You are goin' down.

Moo!

"That's strange," I state, tossing the paper aside. I quickly explain my plan to James.

"It's brilliant!" he shouts, "I'm so glad you are on my team." And we head outside. In a manner of the extremely most unrealistic coincidences, Sirius and Kirsten happen to be emerging onto the beach at the same time that we are. We face each other, and have a staring match. James breaks the silence.

"Would you like to do the honors, Lily?" he asks me.

"I would be my pleasure." With that, I cast my spell, and a large metal fence appears around Kirsten and Sirius. As they bang against the chains and shout, James pulls me aside.

"The cows can just climb over the fence!" he whisper-shouts.

"Do you honestly think that they'll realize that?"

"Good point."

"Help!" Kirsten shouts through the fence. "This is like prison! Or a death camp!"

"The Rubber Duckies are planning world domination!" Sirius shrieks, pounding his fists against the links.

"This is like the Rubber Ducky Gestapo!" Kirsten yells, smirking at her remark.

"What is the Gestapo?" Sirius asks.

"If you're not smart enough to know, I'm not dumb enough to tell you," she returns.

"Fair enough," he admits. Then he switches gears. "Hitler!" Sirius taunts. "Nazis!"

"I'm not even Jewish!" Kirsten weeps, pretending to burst into tears.

"So James," I say, ignoring the crazy pleading in the circle of fence, "would you like to commence with stage two?"

"I would be honored to." He grabs some of the paint-filled balloons that we magically created. He then sends them flying at the herd of cows (aka: Sirius and Kirsten).

Sirius responds by screaming like a little girl. Kirsten shouts, as red paint hits her in the face, "Paint in my EYE! OWIE!"

"I'm pretty sure I just blinded the herd of cows," James laughs.

"It's on now." I can barely hear Kirsten whisper. She then takes a deep breath and shouts, "JAMES'S MIDDLE NAME IS MARION!!!!"

James looks stunned, but I don't really care. "You already told me that," I call back.

"Damn it," she swears.

"I can't believe you told her!" After thinking about what he said, James then corrects, "Actually, I can believe that."

The cows just laugh.

"KIRSTEN HAD A CRUSH ON SIRIUS!!!" James bellows. The said pair immediately moves in opposite directions and looks at each other in a weird way.

"THAT WAS JUST A FAZE!" Kirsten yells back. "Black, watch this…" She then smirks evilly. "Hey, Lily! When are you and James going out?"

"That's easy…" Why am I drawing blanks here? "Wait. James, when are we going out?"

"Uh…"

"And where?"

"Um…"

"What are we gonna do?"

"Ah…"

The cows are laughing their butts off.

"How about next Saturday?" James asks, overcoming his insane ah-ing. "It will be a surprise."

"Okay," I reply. We both turn to face the cows again. Their giggles have been reduced to nothing.

"We're never going to get out of here!" Sirius cries. "I don't want to die in a fence!"

"You're a glass half empty person aren't you?" Kirsten asks, smiling.  
"No, I am a glass half full person. It's just poison."

"Amazing," Kirsten sighs sarcastically. It's weird, what Sirius said is kind of like my own motto: Some say the glass is half empty. Some say the glass is half full. I say, "Are you gonna drink that?"

"Drink what?" James asks. Crap. I said that out loud.

"Uh, nothing. Sorry," I stumble. That was embarrassing.

"I found a dead body once… then I ate it… then I found five dollars," Sirius declares.

Kirsten stares at him oddly, and then turns to me and shouts, "Lily! If you care about me in any way, you would save me from this lunatic!"

I look to James with my big puppy dog eyes. I can see when he caves. He sighs and says, "I always advise people never to give advice."

"Okay then. Can I let them out now?"

"Oh. Sure."

"HEY, COWS! I'll let you out if we end this war and have a truce!" I call out.

"Fine! Truce!" They yell at the same time. The fence vanishes instantly, and Kirsten embraces my in a hug. She obviously doesn't care that she has colored paint all over her.

"You saved my life!" she exclaims. As she releases me, a do a simple cleaning charm on the both of us.

"It was nothing," I assure her.

"No," she debates, "it was a big deal. And one day, I'll save your life and we'll be even."

"Whatever you say," I laugh.

"So, what do you wanna do now?" Kirsten asks me, looking out into the ocean. "We still have a few hours until it gets dark."

"You want to go for a run?"

"Ew." She pretends to gag. "Why would we do that?"

"Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don't shoot their husbands. They just don't!"

"I," Kirsten states proudly, "am happy all the time. Though I don't, like, dot my I's with hearts or anything. That would be too happy."

OoOoO

Later that night, I emerge from the shower. I wander to my dresser to get my clothes, but something is wrong. None of my threads are there. Instead, I find a whole wardrobe of some guy's garments. By the look of them, they are James's clothes.

I take some sweatpants, a t-shirt, and much to my dismay, a pair of boxers. Grabbing my wand, I charm them to be smaller. Well, I should say that I try to charm them smaller. As I do, they only get bigger.

Smirking at my clever ways, I quickly say, "Engrogio," and charm them to be bigger. It should have the opposite effect… but it doesn't. The clothes still get bigger.

Then I find the note on my dresser. It says:

If you ever want your clothes back, come to the beach.

Moo!

I quickly pull the huge clothes on, and go down the stairs. I have to hold up my pants with two hands, so they don't fall down. I even have to hold the boxers up.

I walk onto the beach and see the stupid cows laughing at me. I just hold my head high, and approach them.

I'm about to say some really smart remark, but James makes an appearance. He's wearing one of my sleeping shirts (which are huge on me, but like spandex for him). He is also sporting a pair of my sweatpants (that end at his calf). His face is bright red, and I can't help thinking that he looks adorable.

As he reaches the soon-to-be-dead cows, Kirsten panics and says, "It was Black's idea!"

I don't know why, but I burst into a laugh attack. Kirsten and I are practically rolling on the floor, and the boys are looking at us like we're crazy.

Between giggles, I manage to declare, "Men, can't live with 'em, can't… nope, that's about it."

The guys are silent for a few seconds until they understand what I just said. They then whine in unison: "Hey!"

That makes us all laugh even harder. After a while, everyone gets their own clothes back, and the war ends… for now.

A/N: since it's been a really long time since I've reviewed, I hope you'll forgive me and be happy that I decided to make this a long chapter. Sorry if that chapter was kinda random, but I had craziness to work with. Thanks a bunch for all of the crazy quotes, and I'm sorry if I couldn't use any (like some wouldn't fit the time period (coughKIRSTENcough) or I got them too late (coughDANNIcough) or they were just impossible to use).

Anyway, thanks to all of my wonderful, amazing, and cool reviewers. The next chapter is going to be their first date, so that should be fun.

Also, this is completely odd, but I just read the lyrics to Dani California by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (naturally). It's really cool! Dani was a girl who was born in Mississippi, but then became a bank robber and was shot. I thought that was really interesting (cause I could never really understand the lyrics). Oh, and I'm not crazy. That song is stuck in my head right now.

I love you all! Review and I'll be happy!


	18. The First Date

A/N: hey faithful readers!!! What's happenin'? I'm glad most of you liked the previous chapter! (I'm sorry for the extreme randomness)(also, I apologize for the remarks about Hitler and the Nazis. If that offended anyone, I am deeply sorry. It was just a sad attempt to be funny).

Well, I'm sorry for the long waits. Spring is here, which means that I really want to slack off and ignore my schoolwork. And that is not a grand idea. I've had to buckle down and force myself to do my work. I know that's a lame excuse, but that's all I've got. Accept it, or don't.

Ooo! I remembered my better excuse! I've been suffering from the mega-est writer's block EVER! I've been thinking about this chapter constantly, and I still don't know what I'm going to write! And this chapter is uber important! It's the first date!!! Ay ay ay!

Disclaimer- I am the almighty Claire! Hear me roar! (I am not the almighty JK)

Disclaimer for the disclaimer- That was my friend's idea for a disclaimer. I thought it was funny, so I used it. It is not mine. And neither is Harry Potter (only in my dreams).

**Chapter 18: **The First Date

Before you can say, "The herd of cows suck and the rubber duckies can kick their butts any day," Saturday morning comes. And I, for one, am extremely nervous. I know that I've talked to James all summer, but this is different. It's a… I can't believe I'm saying this… date. Oh, Merlin, I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. I'm going to die.

At this exact moment, James's owl, Peaches, pecks at my window (I think James named his owl that because he lost a bet. I'll have to ask him about that…). After I got over my "I hate James" phase, Peaches and I have gotten along splendidly. I no longer threaten to kill him.

I unlock the latch so he can fly in, and I notice how dark it is outside. It must be really early in the morning, when all of the freaks and weirdoes are awake. Peaches drops a letter on my bed. It's a note from James, that early morning freak, and we soon get a conversation going.

**J: Are you excited for today?**

_L: It's too early for me to be feeling any emotion besides extreme tiredness._

**J: Well, I'm excited.**

_L_: _You should get an award. What are we doing anyway?_

**J: I've told you a billion times: it's a surprise!**

_L: At least tell me what I should wear. I don't wanna end up in sweats if we're going to a fancy restaurant._

**J: You can wear anything you want… except a skirt.**

_L: You're not taking me on a "surprise attempt at Quidditch" date, are you? That is so lame._

**J: … uh, no! Of course not! I mean, anyone could think of a lame date like that! You don't give me enough credit…**

_L: That was the plan, wasn't it?_

**J: Maybe…**

To finish, I add a sappy line that I know would make Kirsten gag.

_L: I don't care what we do. As long as I'm with you, I'll be happy. I'm going back to bed. See you when it's actually acceptable to be awake._

With that, I close the window and roll over. I guess I do fall asleep because the next thing I know, it's really bright outside. And Kirsten comes bounding into my room.

"Rise and shine, sleeping ugly!" she calls, jumping onto my bed, her dark hair shining in the sun. I have to squint just to look at her. As Kirsten continues to shout, I slowly sit up and grab her by the collar of her shirt in a very threatening way. She looks terrified. I must look pretty pissed.

I pull her closer to me and ask, "What ever happened to waking up to the birds singing?"

"They got a whiff of your morning breath, and it killed them all," she smugly replies. After a short pause, she continues, "Seriously, could you brush your teeth before you kill me?"

"Fine." I purposely sigh really loudly and blow into Kirsten's face. She yelps and runs to the window for fresh air. I just laugh and skip into the bathroom. As soon as I put the toothbrush in my mouth, I hear Kirsten scream in distress. Running back into my room, I ask, spitting toothpaste everywhere, "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Your date with James is todaaaayyy!" she yells right in my ear.

"Yep," I mutter in agony and shrink my way back into the bathroom. As I emerge with acceptable morning breath, Kirsten twirls me around in a stupid happy dance. Then she starts the 20 questions.

"Are you excited? Nervous? Where are you going? Can I spy? Do you think he'll try to tame his hair? Do you want him to? Do you think he'll propose? Could I be your maid of honor? Oh my God, what are you going to wear?" she spits out all in one breath. Impressive.

"Um, yes I'm excited, mega yes to the nervousness, I don't know where we're going, NO YOU CAN NOT SPY, I don't care what he does with his hair, I don't want him to be any different, hell no to the marriage question, whatever about the maid of honor, and I have no freaking idea what I'm going to where," I answer, sitting back down on my bed.

"Well, I can help you with the fashion part!" Kirsten dances around my room and tosses every article of clothing that I happened to have brought with me. When she finds my green and white dress that I bought with her, she says, "Why don't you wear this? James will die when he sees you."

"I can't. He told me not to wear a skirt or dress," I explain.

"Oh no. He's not taking you on a Quidditch date, is he?" she asks with a stunned look in her eyes. "That is so lame."

"I know! He said that we weren't going to play any Quidditch."

"Good."

After that, Kirsten and I come up with the perfect outfit: dark cropped jeans, a cute white blouse, and flip-flops. We pass the time by playing cards on my bed (with a lot of screaming during War). Soon, I make my way out to the beach where I said I would meet James.

I don't know why, but I'm so nervous. There are about a million and two thoughts streaming through my head.

Before I can list them, though, James arrives. I see him stride across the beach in blue jeans, a green button-up shirt, and flip-flops. Seriously, is there a better shoe to wear in the summer?

"Hey, Lily." Oh bullocks, he's talking to me. Quick, say something!

"Hey, James." That was brilliant thinking under pressure, if do I say so myself.

And then he grabs his broom that was on the ground beside where I am standing. Funny, I didn't notice it at all.

"You said ther–" I start, but James interrupts me.

"Don't worry, " he laughs, "we aren't going to play Quidditch. This is just getting us to our destination." He mounts his broom, and I sit behind him, wrapping my arms around his strong waist. While we're flying, instead of taking in the breeze on my face (like I normally do), I find myself completely freaking out about my hair. Kirsten spent a long time doing something to it (honestly, I have no idea what she did), and now it's going to be ruined!

Through my freaking out, I notice that we're flying upwards. It puzzles me, so I ask, "Where are we going?"

"Right there," he replies as I see something coming closer to us. What the…?

"Your dinner, madam," James announces, flying beside the, what can only be described as a table in the sky. Surrounded by thin clouds floats two chairs on opposite sides of a lovely table. There are candles, a crisp white tablecloth, and two plates full of deliciously smelling food. As I look below, I still see the beach and the ocean, but it's really tiny.

I jump from the broom onto a chair, and James does the same. Soon, we are sitting and eating the delicious meal of grilled steak and mashed potatoes. There is an awkward silence over us, though, and I can't think of what to say. Instead, I look out into the blue sky, searching for imaginary figures in the clouds.

"This is so weird," James starts, causing me to look away from the white, fluffy unicorn that I spotted, "because we have talked all of the time before this. And now that the word, 'date,' is involved, we're both tongue-tied."

"That is so true."

He nods, and continues. "We shouldn't let that little word stop us from having a good time."

"I agree." After that, we lapse back into the silence. James decides to speak, thankfully.

"It's still hard for me to believe that you finally said yes to me," he mutters. His hazel eyes reach mine, and I can't look away. "I'm so glad that you did."

"Me too," I reply before even thinking.

"All it took was three years of persistence, a whole lot of no's and one yes."

"Actually, it was 730 no's and one yes," I point out.

Another silence sweeps over us, until James says, "You kept track the number of times I've asked you out?"

Crap! "You were never supposed to know that…"

"Well, I'm glad that I do."

After that, the tension between us completely breaks. It's like it was never there. We talk about family, friends, school, sports, and everything else that pops into our minds. After a little while, Kirsten and Sirius come up in the conversation.

"You do realize that they are probably spying on us right now, right?" I point out, giggling.

"You're probably right," James mutters, leaning back in his chair and running a hand through his hair. "Watch this." He picks up a piece of uneaten steak and drops it. After a few seconds, I can hear something from below.

"What the hell was that?!?" Sirius screams, and James and I burst out into fits of laughter. Our chuckles are cut short by a dull roar in the distance.

"What is that?" I ask, noticing the plates and glasses on the table start to shake.

"I have no idea!" James shouts as the roaring grows louder. We both look up and see what is flying over us. An airplane.

"Cover your head!" he yells at me as the plane approaches. The sound is almost unbearable. I put my head on the table and cover it with my arms. On top of the roaring, now, there is a great vibration that sweeps through me. Just as I think my head is going to explode, it thankfully recedes. When it completely stops, I lift my head.

"Lily! Are you alright?" James asks. His glasses are very crooked on his nose.

"Yeah," I say, reaching over to fix them, "I'm okay."

James looks awfully upset about the airplane almost killing us. I feel terrible that he feels bad. In the spur of the moment, for I would never do this otherwise (I'm such a coward), I take his hand in mine. He glances up at me and smiles, entwining our fingers. We both lean towards each other, I close my eyes, and…

"SQUAK!"

I open my eyes abruptly and follow James's gaze out to my right. There, I see a big, dark blur of something.

"What now?" I hear James mutter. We watch the blur until it gets closer, and we see what it is. It's not one big blur; it's a bunch of little blurs. To be more specific, about a hundred seagulls are flying right towards us.

"SQUAK! SQUAK! SQUAK!"

"Uh, James?" I ask calmly.

"Yes, Lil?"

"It's getting late. I don't think my parents would appreciate it if I got back when they were asleep." (I don't mention that it's only about eight o'clock.) I grin slyly at him, and he smiles back.

"You are absolutely right, my dear," he declares, playing along. "What would your parents think if we stayed out any longer?"

The seagulls are almost on top of us, so James says, "After you."

"Why thank you." With that said, I jump off of my chair and feel myself fall. After a few moments of exhilaration, James scoops me up onto his broom. I'm once again behind him on a broom, holding on for my life. And I couldn't be happier.

"Fancy seeing you here," I say, grinning my head off. James just laughs in a reply. As we touch back down on the ground, I catch Sirius and Kirsten escaping back into the Potter's house. They are so predictable.

We land safely and stand in the sand for a few silent moments. Then James speaks up. "I'm sorry that I almost got you killed on our first date."

"Twice," I add, still smiling.

"I'll make it up to you, I swear."

"You don't have to, but that works too." He leans in and kisses me on the cheek. My stomach does flip-flops and I feel like I'm about float away.

James walks me to my door, and as I enter my house, he says again, "I will make it up to you. You'll see."

"Okay" is all that I manage to say. I close the door and hover up the stairs and into my room.

OoOoO

At about eleven o'clock the same night, I turn off my light and try to get some sleep. It doesn't come, though. Sleep, I mean. I stare at my ceiling, reliving my date with James. I sigh in content and roll over. That is when I hear something.

"_If I could write it in the stars, _

_Then we would never be apart._"

Oh, Merlin! Some guy is standing outside my window. And he's singing to me!

"_If I could sing it in every song,_

_The world would get along._"

I roll off of my bed and peak through my curtains. What I see makes me sigh in relief.

"_If I could find the right words to say,_

_Then hope would never go away._"

It's James! And he's singing to me!

"_If I could make all your dreams appear,_

_Then I would take away all fear._"

I open my window, and sit on the edge of it. When I see James below me, I can't help but smile like a giddy schoolgirl.

"_If I could understand the rain,_

_Then there would be no pain._"

The song is beautiful, but something seems wrong.

"_If I could fly over the sun,_

_Then we would care for everyone._"

Aha! I got it! I'll just wait for him to finish the song first.

"_If I could see your laugh,_

_Hear your smile,_

_I'd stand out by your window while_

_I count the diamonds in your eyes,_

_Dreading when the moment dies._

_If I could stay right here with you forever,_

_And make it better,_

_I'd do it all again_.

_If I could give you my forever._"

Once he stops singing, I motion for him to wait, and I grab my broom. Standing on it like a skateboard, I glide down to his level.

"I told you I would make it up to you," he says, his eyes twinkling in the moonlight.

"That was beautiful," I remark. "Did you write that?"

He nods, looking away. "Did you like it?"

"I loved it," I say, and he smiles. "I have one question, though."

"Shoot."

"Who was singing?"

This completely catches him off guard, and he blanches. "What do you mean?" he asks, his face turning a lovely shade of crimson.

"Come on, I've gone to school with you for six years. I've spent a half of a summer with you almost every day. Heck, I even started to go out with you. I know that you're a great Quidditch player, you can write a wicked awesome poem/song, and you are a very loyal friend. I think I've known you long enough to know that you are not a very gifted singer."

After a few moments of silence (I guess he was listing his options in his head), he finally caves. "You caught me."

"So who was singing?"

"Um," James pauses, looking very uncomfortable, "it was Padfoot."

"Sirius? Seriously?" Wow. Did not expect that one.

"Yep. He's actually a very good singer. And he's oddly proud of it," James mutters.

"Well, I still loved the song," I admit.

"You did?"  
"Yep."

I bite my lip, thinking. Like I said before, I'm a huge coward. I would never normally do anything like this. But this isn't normal –it's extraordinary.

So without thinking, I put my hands on James's collar and pull him towards me.

And I kiss him square on the lips.

A/N: They finally went out! And they kissed! What a chapter! And sorry if the song sounded very girly. It's hard to right a poem from a guy's perspective. I tried, though. Please don't kill me.

Oh, and the screaming during card games comes from my friend Casey. We always get so into card games. We'll scream at each other during War… and Spit is pretty bad to. Yeah, we have fun.

Also, I've gotten a few questions about Kirsten and Sirius possibly getting together. That was an idea, but I've decided against it. It is very cliché. If they went out, Afhton and Remus (who isn't even in this story) should get together as well (that was sarcasm). So, sorry, Kirsten and Sirius will not be going out. In the words of Kirsten herself, "That was just a phase."

Thanks mucho to all reviewers, as always. I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as I write it, but I really have to think about the plot from here. I'm warning you, it might be a while. And finals are coming up very soon, so I'll post whenever I can.

Don't forget to review!!!


	19. People Watching

A/N: Before I start this chapter, I would like to acknowledge a review that a got. One of my reviewers was really worried that I was going to stop writing this story. Well, I've got something to say: I'm in it 'til the end, baby! Just because I have to think about the plot (that is currently nonexistent) doesn't mean that I'm going to just stop writing. I could never do that to all of you! What would you read??? (just kidding!) I am constantly thinking about this story, and it would probably kill me to just forget about it. So, it will be finished in the not too distant future. Just making sure everybody knows that.

Disclaimer- I haven't had any caffeine today, and I'm tired, so I can't think of a more creative way to say that I don't own any of this Harry Potter thing. Actually, that wasn't half bad…

**Chapter 19: **People Watching

"So, why are we here, again?" I ask for about the millionth time. I still don't understand what we are doing in the middle of the Village. The Village is a place in Carmel with a lot of little shops. Many people can be found buying things from clothes to souvenirs, or just tilling around here. There are a lot of benches and trees and little stores to visit. Now, Kirsten and I are walking down Main Street, surrounded by bustling shoppers.

"We're people watching, stupid!" Kirsten replies like it's completely normal to spend an afternoon stalking random strangers. I was just reading on the beach –minding my own business –when Kirsten snuck up behind be and practically threw me into her car. As my heart beat returned to the normal pace (as normal as it can get when I'm around my crazy friend), Kirsten told me what we were going to do. And I still don't get it.

"What's so great about following a bunch of boring shoppers around all day?" I say, plopping down on a bench by a palm tree.

"It's fun!" she squeals in response.

"What's so fun about it?"

"Uh… it's fun!"

Clearly, this plan wasn't well thought through.

"Since we're here, how does one go about 'people watching'?" I sigh in defeat. Before I think, I find myself running a hand through my hideous red hair. I stop half way, stunned. I've been spending way too much time with James lately. Ever since our date, we've been inseparable. We haven't gone out again, or kissed (much to my disappointment), but we are always hanging out. I've even started to pick up some of his adorable habits.

"All you have to do is find an interesting person and follow them everywhere!" Kirsten explains.

"Sounds like fun," I say sarcastically.

Apparently, sarcasm is a foreign language to the girl beside me. "It IS fun!"

"Whatever you say, Kirsten."

"So, who do you want to follow?"

I quickly scan the crowd of people and find an acceptable match. "How about that guy? There, standing by the ice cream cart," I suggest, pointing to the tall man with blonde hair, wearing expensive clothes.

"Sure!" Kirsten exclaims while jumping up and pulling me to my feet. We follow the middle aged guy into a hair store (where he buys about a billions dollars worth of hair products), to a clothes store (where we spend about an hour watching him try on ridiculous outfits, including a cowboy one (by waiting outside the changing room, beside the huge mirror)), and to a jewelry store (where he buys himself a freaky expensive watch (that could probably pay for a college tuition)). Unfortunately, our fun is cut short by him returning to his car (a bright red convertible) and driving away.

"Well, that killed some time," Kirsten mutters, once again plopping down on the bench by the palm tree where this all began. "Who do you wanna stalk now?"

I scan the crowd of people again, and I hear Kirsten's sharp intake of breath. I look at her, but she's not looking my way. Instead, her eyes are fixed on something in front of us.

"What's wrong?" I ask, trying to see what she's looking at.

"Nothing's wrong," she whispers, a dreamy look on her face. "Look at that guy in the white shirt, 12 o'clock."

I look to where she's referring to, and I almost fall over. "You mean the guy in the black hat?"

"Yep," Kirsten sighs, enjoying the eye candy.

Even though I'm technically dating James, it is impossible not to appreciate this sight. Right in front of Kirsten and me is probably one of the best-looking guys I've ever seen (besides James, of course). He's standing by the same ice cream cart that we spotted Mr. Blonde Diva. A white T-shirt lays on top of perfect muscles, not too buff and scary, but just right. He's also wearing dark jeans, loose on his hips. A black hat is perched on his dark, curly hair. He turns our way, and I can see his dark, chocolate eyes. As if he knows that we are looking at him, he smiles. I practically melt when I see that smile. I'm so far gone, I don't notice when Kirsten completely falls off of the bench. Then she whacks my arm.

"What?" I try to snap, but my tone is too sappy from my la-la-land.

She doesn't answer, though. We watch in amazement as he lifts his hat off and runs his hand through his hair. He looks like James, but his smile isn't as care free as my maybe-boyfriend. And his hair doesn't look as soft or as messy.

Wow. I must really like James to be comparing this gorgeous guy to him.

And then he walks away, and Kirsten returns to Earth.

"So," she says, as if she's forgotten him already, "who do you wanna follow now?"

And I'm searching the crowd again. I spot someone that looks exactly like Afhton, standing in front of a candy store. "See that girl over there?" I point and Kirsten nods. "How about her?"

"Sure!" she exclaims, standing up and hurrying to catch up with her. As I follow, I realize that this girl really could be Afhton's twin. They both have the same long, straight, brown hair and the same bounce in their step. Thinking this, I really start to miss my best friend. We still chat with the notebooks, but that's not the same.

As we enter the candy store, the girl suddenly looks around for something. She turns, and I nearly fall over again.

This girl isn't a freaky Afhton look-a-like. It is the great Afhton herself!

"AFFIE!" I shout running towards her.

At the same time, she screams, "LILY!" and she runs towards me.

Let the record show, I am extremely embarrassed by what happens next. We both turn so suddenly with excitement (keep in mind that we are only a few feet from each other in a candy store), and we run right into each other.

"Ow," I moan, lying face-up on the floor. Hmm, candy stores have really nice ceilings… and hard floors. Dude, I'm, like, totally going to have bruises tomorrow.

As I inspect the fancy colored lights on the ceiling, a face comes into my vision and blocks them. "What gives?" I mutter, as I realize that Kirsten is very concerned about my health.

"Lily! Oh my God, are you okay?" she asks in about two seconds.

I put my hands on her face and physically push her out of my way. Then I sit up and look around. "Yeah, I'm fine."

I search the shop and finally see Afhton lying behind a display of candy bars. I crawl over to her and ask, "Are you alright?"

After a short pause, she tears her blue eyes away from the ceiling to look at me. "Ya know, this shop has the coolest lights."

"I know," I say, helping her to her feet. Kirsten comes back and sees Afhton. She doesn't say anything, though. I guess she's waiting for me to introduce her. She's such a drama queen.

I sigh. "Kirsten, this is Afhton. Afhton, meet Kirsten."

"Ah, the female Black," Af mutters. "We finally meet." As she says this, the two circle each other, like they are evaluating the other person.

"And you," Kirsten pauses for effect, "are the person behind the pink notebook." My friends are so weird.

Long story short, they eventually shake hands and we're all chummy. While exiting the candy store (with a lot of purchased candy), Kirsten asks, "Afhton, would you like to join Lily and me on a people watching adventure?"

"Um, sure?" I notice that Affie's response is a question.

"Don't worry, it's 'fun,'" I say reassuringly.

"Okay," Kirsten remarks in her captain voice, "let's return to home base."

As we make our way back to our home base (meaning our designated bench), we see something wrong. Some guy is sitting on our bench!

"Oh no he didn't!" Kirsten says to herself. She starts to walk towards him to get "all up in his grill" or something, when I recognize who it is.

"Kirsten! That's the black hat guy!"

"Who?" Afhton asks.

"That guy in the black hat, over there, sitting on a bench. We saw him earlier," I explain.

"Him? He's cute!" she declares, striding towards him.

"What are you doing?" Kirsten asks, shocked.

"I'm going to say hello, and ask to have our home base back."

That's what I love about Afhton. She can just walk up to any person and introduce herself. To any outsider, it might look like she's trying to get his number, or something. But I know that she's just trying to make another friend. I wish I could do that. I once chatted with a new girl in Herbology. I talked for ten whole minutes about dragon poop. Yeah, that was not one of my finer moments.

I look back over to Afhton, talking to the black hat guy. There's a lot of nodding, some smiling, oh, and she's motioning towards us. Crap, she wants us to come meet him.

Nope, I think to myself, I'm staying right here. After more arm flailing, Kirsten gets the idea and joins the pair by the bench. Bullocks, I hate being alone in a crowd!

Calm down, Lily! Find your happy place! Find your happy place!

Hmm… bunnies… broomsticks… James… okay. I'm alright.

I walk over to my two friends and the black hat guy.

"Lily, this is Andrew Berson. Andy, this is my friend, Lily Evans," Afhton says. After we shake hands, she turns to Kiri. "And this is Kirsten Potter."

"You wouldn't happen to be related to James Potter, would you?" the black hat guy asks her, in a deep voice with a familiar and well-missed British accent. Calling him the "black hat guy" has such a nice ring to it. It sounds mysterious. And I can't seem to remember his name. Oops.

"Ugh. James is my cousin. We're staying up the road, on the beach for the summer."

"Oh," says the black hat guy, "I met him at a Quidditch camp a few summers ago."

"Cool," Afhton remarks. "Well, we were wondering if we could have our bench back."

"Yeah," Kirsten adds, "you stole it."

"Oh. I wasn't aware that this bench belonged to you lovely ladies."

Stupid face! Why are you blushing? Stop it!

The black hat guy stands up, and he valiantly relinquishes the bench. "I must be going now. It was nice meeting you."

"Yeah, sure, whatever," I mumble, sitting down. Then I remember something. "Quidditch."

"What about it?" Kirsten says.

"He mentioned Quidditch. How did he know that we weren't Muggles?"

"I don't know," she replies.

"Beats me," Af adds.

After that, we catch up for a bit on the bench. Afhton explains how she was bored to death at home, so she snuck out and came to visit (I know, she came all the way to California to see me!). We discuss the summer, and we are eventually ready to stalk another person.

"Hey!" Kirsten shouts randomly. "Those guys over there look exactly like Sirius and James!" After a lot of pointing and flailing, I see them.

"Whoa! You're right!" I say, astonished. Seriously, though, those guys could be their twins.

"Uh, guys? Those guys _are_ James and Sirius." Wow. When did Afhton get to be so observant?

Kirsten jumps up as soon as she hears this. "Let's follow them!"

Oh God. Nothing good can come from this.

"Yeah!" Af expresses. Note to self: Kill Afhton.

"Guys, I really don't want to stalk my maybe-boyfriend and his best friend. What if they see us?" I whine.

"They won't!" Kirsten reassures. I forgot: Kirsten has awesome spy skills.

"Oh, fine!" I finally give in. This is going to be interesting. By interesting, I mean embarrassing.

Dragging my feet, I tag along and follow the two boys into a male clothing store. We hide behind a rack of clothes, and we peek through the hangers. When she sees Sirius trying on ridiculous sunglasses, Afhton almost blows our cover. I have to put my hand over her mouth to stop her giggles. James then comes over to try on some too. He puts on a pair of dark Aviator ones. I grimace. Let's just say that Aviators are not a good style for James.

"Hey, Padfoot," James says, running a hand through his hair, "how do I look?"

"Smashing," Sirius replies sarcastically.

"Seriously, mate, should I buy these?" he asks.

"Please say no, please say no," I chant in a whisper. Kirsten and Afhton just laugh at me.

"Sure," Sirius states. I groan. He then adds, "If you want to look like an overweight hippogriff that just got hit by a flying car."

"Fine," James pouts, putting the hideous sunglasses back on the rack. I breathe in a sigh of relief. Who would guess that Sirius Black has fashion sense?

"Prongsie!" Sirius calls, holding up a really small Speedo. "I'll bet that Lilypad would enjoy this!"

"I would not!" I quietly argue.

"Ew," Af remarks.

"If he buys that and wears it, I'll carve out my own eyes," Kirsten whines.

"Don't be disgusting, Padfoot," James says. This time, all three of us sigh in relief.

In a few minutes, the boys leave the store, and we follow. They walk into a little café. They take their seats, and we sit at a small table behind a fake plant. We can hear what they're saying, and they can't see us. Win-win.

"What'cha thinkin' about, Prongs?" Sirius asks, noting the strange look on his friend's face.

James starts to say something, but Sirius interrupts, "Never mind. I don't want to know."

But it seems that James didn't hear him. "You know, I haven't seen Lily all day."

Heat floods to my face as he says this.

"And you're going to tell me anyway," Sirius remarks quietly.

"Do you think that she wants to be my girlfriend?" he asks, ignoring Sirius. My face turns a deeper red and my former friends laugh at me again.

"Banana hammock," Sirius answers. James doesn't even notice.

"I'm going to ask her anyway," he declares. I find myself smiling, even though I don't want to in front of Kirsten and Afhton. They make kissy faces at me, so I flick their ears. Ha! Revenge is sweet.

"I heard that Moldy-shorts is getting stronger," Sirius voices. This finally makes James pay attention.

"I know. I heard that he's killing whole Muggle communities," he says in a grave voice. It's nice to know that it takes a crazed, evil wizard, who insists on being called Voldemort, to make James stop thinking about me. That's a comforting thought.

"I can't wait to be able to help fight him," Sirius expresses.

"Me too," James adds.

They talk, we laugh at them, and eventually the sun sets. Soon, Afhton leaves to return home, and Kirsten and I return to our respective houses on our beach. I put on my pajamas (a large T-shirt that says "I'm not dead yet" (from Monty Python), a pair of flowered boxers, and my flip-flop slippers), and the doorbell rings.

"I'll get it!" I call to my parents, as I open the door. I smile as I see my one and only maybe-boyfriend.

"Hey, Lily."

"Hey, James."

"Nice jamies." He laughs, I blush, and we move to sit on the front step.

"I missed you today," James admits, looking up at the stars.

"I missed you too," I voice, trying not to confess about the people-watching thing.

"Lily, can I ask you something," he asks, looking at me again. As I see his big, hazel eyes, I thank the stars that he didn't buy those sunglasses.

"Sure," I reply.

"Would you be my boyfriend?" he says. I'm about to answer, but-

Did he just say "boyfriend"?

"Sod! I meant to say _girl_friend. Girlfriend!" He hangs his head in his hands, and I don't have to have the ability to see in the dark to know that he's blushing.

"Ya know what? Just forget I said anything," he mumbles, trying to stand up. But I pull him back down.

"I would love to be your boyfriend, James," I say before thinking. "Crap, I meant girlfriend."

I blush (again), and he smiles. "I know what you meant." He leans down and kisses me on the cheek. He wraps his arm around my shoulders, and I snuggle into his warmth. We gaze at the stars together. Then I see something.

"Do you see what that says?" I ask, pointing to the sky. I then make it out. "'Nice going, mate.'"

"Padfoot," James mutters, shaking his head.

"Don't worry," I say, "we'll get him back tomorrow."

"You bet we will!" he exclaims, pulling me closer.

A/N: Yeah! I finally finished this chapter! Sorry it took so long, but I just realized that this story basically has no plot! So this chapter (though it was not very good) is the beginning of the main plot that leads to the end.

Oh! By popular demand, I brought Afhton into this chapter (because I thought people would hunt me down and throw tomatoes at me if I didn't). Also, the black hat guy is based off of a guy that I saw at the Atlanta Aquarium. I don't know his name, but he is, by far, the hottest guy I've ever seen. And the people-watching thing comes from something that the real Kirsten and I did one time. It didn't really work, though.

Anyway, I know that I won't be able to update until after June 5th (my last day of school). I have finals coming up, and I'm going to be uber-busy. I'm really sorry- attack my teachers, not me.

Thanks a bunch to my reviewers! I'm running out of good things to say about you guys! You rock!

Keep 'em coming!


	20. Pink

A/N: So, I've been thinking of my intense writer's block (which happens to be the reason why I haven't updated in a really, really, really long time), and I actually got an idea for something that Kirsten could do. It has morphed into this chapter. Isn't that ironic?

Also, I'm ignoring the lack of reviews I got for the last chapter. If I think about it, it makes me sad.

Disclaimer- "If you were any slower, you'd be going backward." –Draco Malfoy on the amazing intellectual levels of his friends, CoS. JK owns this quote, this character, these stupid goonies, this world, and this amazing series. She owns all of it. In other words, I don't.

**Chapter 20: **Pink

The July days quickly blend into August. I'm sitting on my bed, gazing out at the night sky through my window. The stars are especially bright tonight—like millions of tiny candles stuck in the empty space above. Though the flames in the sky should be holding my attention, something else is:

My boyfriend.

My boyfriend! My boyfriend! My boyfriend! Ahhh, I have a boyfriend. Have you heard? (I'm a little obsessive)

Over the last few days, James and I have become a lot closer, much to Kirsten's dismay. According to her, I've turned into another Beauxbaton freak. Soon, I will apparently be obsessed with the color pink, unicorns (preferably pink ones), butterflies (see the note following the unicorns), and boys. The boys don't have to be pink, though. Kirsten is just going through a new phase where she thinks everyone is going to leave her. If she doesn't calm down soon, everybody will.

Well, as I said, I'm staring out my window at my lovely, handsome, glorious, awesome, 100-percent all mine, and perfect boyfriend. The light is on through his open window, and I can see him moving around. I can see him talk to Sirius for a while. I can see a little argument going on. Then:

"You CAN'T tell her that!!!" Sirius screams at James. Hmm. I wonder what they're talking about…

"I'm going to!" James shouts back. He's hunky when he shouts. Hmm.

I watch as Sirius storms out of his room, slamming the door. The pictures on the wall swing as the door shuts. My poor Jamsie-wamsie looks upset. The poor thing.

Oh mother of seashells.

I stare in shock as my totally hot boyfriend (!) takes off his shirt. Eee!

I seem to have forgotten what I just saw. I feel like I just woke up from a dream that I knew I had, but one that I can't seem to remember. Oh, look! James without a shirt! What a lucky coincidence!

I continue to watch in a daze (I know it's kinda creepy, but he is my boyfriend) as he moves to close his window. It is kind of drafty out tonight.

Oh no.

James suddenly looks across the way to my window where I can be seen completely ogling over him. He then squints as if trying to see me. Maybe if I don't move, he won't be able to spot me.

"Lily?"

Bullocks!

Hide! Hide!

In my scramble to hide myself from complete and utter humiliation, I suddenly feel gravity pulling me downward. This is not good.

With a lot of arm flailing and a lack of grace, naturally, I fall out of the window. I don't really know how it happened. I was looking at James, and then at the stars. And then I thud into the ground and vibrate for a little on the sand.

Out of the corner of my eye I can see James running towards me. I look away. "Please be a dream! Please be a dream!" I chant to myself as a flood of aching pain washes over be. Crap. There's too much pain for this to be a dream. That means it must be real. James caught me watching him undress from my window, which I fell out of—this is just too humiliating.

James finally reaches me, but I close my eyes and hide my face in my hands. I don't want to face him.

"Lily! Oh my God, Lily, are you all right? Are you hurt? Oh God, you are hurt, aren't you? What can I do? Do you need to go to the, um, what-cha-ma-call-it? The hostipal?" James yells frantically, so panicked that he can't seem to remember the word "hospital."

I'm forced to open my eyes. Just barely, though. "No, I do not need to go to the hos-pit-al, James," I mumble. I sit up, slowly, and he wraps his arms around me.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he mutters into my hair. "I was really worried."

As I completely and reluctantly open my eyes, I can't help but notice that James is still shirtless. Aw! He cares about me so much that he didn't even take the time to put a shirt on because he cares about me so much! Whoa. That's a weird strand of thought.

"You're hunky," I declare in my temporarily befuddled state. His hazel eyes look puzzled for a moment before he laughs a little bit. I love his laugh. It makes me forget what I just said. But then I remember. "I said that out loud, didn't I?"

"Yep," he chuckles. "But after a fall like that, you're aloud a few embarrassing remarks off the record."

"Thanks," I sigh.

"But I am glad that you think I'm hunky." He stops and laughs again. "You are allowed to think that, since you are my girlfriend."

I'm his girlfriend (here, heavenly operatic music starts to fill my head. And I don't think it's because of the fall).

"And also, my lady, seeing as you're my girlfriend, I'm allowed to do this." He pulls me close, and his lips meet mine for a few moments that leave too quickly.

When we separate, he says, "Were you really watching me undress from your window?"

"No!" I reply too quickly. He just smirks at me. When did his smirks start looking so cute?

I'm suddenly overcome by a wave of immense tiredness. I lean into James's chest, letting him support my weight. He barely notices.

"Lily, I need to tell you something," James starts.

"Shoofag," I mutter incoherently as the world becomes darker.

"Never mind," he says with a sigh. "Let's get you to bed." I feel his arms around me again as he lifts me up.

"Ouch," I slur dreamily as I feel my fall take its toll.

"Sorry, Lilypop," he answers in a concerned manner.

After that, I only remember him kissing me goodnight before I finally succumb to the darkness of sleep.

OoOoO

I slowly wake up as golden sunlight filters through my window. Stretching and yawning, I smile at the birds chirping outside.

"Ouchie!" I shout as an aching pain fills my body. Oh yeah! I fell out of the window last night! And James came to rescue me! Oh look, a butterfly… I like butterflies.

I roll over to get up when I see something that startles me a little. James is conked out of my chair. Aw! He wanted to make sure I was okay! How sweeeeet! Wow, he really is asleep. This could be fun.

Jumping out of my bed like a cat, I grab a permanent marker off of my dresser. I stride over to James and draw a fake mustache on him. As soon as I finish, he starts to wake up.

In a panic, I toss the marker out of the window (that sadly isn't open, so it clanks really loudly). Then I plop down in James's lap.

"Good morning," I say as he opens his eyes. I stifle a laugh as I gaze at my handy work.

"It sure is," he replies right before he kisses me. He stops (to my disappointment) and says, "I have to tell you something." I nod for him to continue, but he's rudely interrupted.

"Lily-billy!" Kirsten sings as she enters my room. "It's time to wake up!" She looks at my bed, sees it empty, and turns to look at me in James's lap. She lets out a sort of strangled yelp before she completely freaks out.

"Oh ma gawd! Did you stay here all night, James? And you grew a MUSTACHE!!! Great, now you're going to get married, and have kids, and get jobs, and… and… LEAVE ME FOREVER!!!!" she cries and runs out of the room.

As I get up I hear James mutter, "Mustache?" I chuckle and run out after Kirsten. I find her lying in the sand outside, staring up at the clouds. Sitting next to her, I sigh and whack her leg.

"Kirsten, no one is going to leave you any time soon." I tell her. Then I lie down, too. "You have to calm down. Be normal, for once."

"Ugh!" she laughs. "Normal is so… what's the word… uh, normal!"

We both giggle and look at the fluffy clouds in the bright blue sky. After a few moments, James joins us.

"Kirsten, would you mind if I talk to Lily for a bit?" He stops and looks at Kirsten's "Whatever" face. "Alone?" he adds.

"You two make me sick," she says under her breath before log-rolling a few times, so she is away from us. She's so crazy.

"So, Lily, I want to tell you som—" Before James can finish what he was saying (still sporting a lovely marker-mustache) Sirius comes out of nowhere and tackles his best friend. They roll on the sand, sending it flying everywhere.

"You can't tell her!" I hear Sirius mutter as they continue to fight. To avoid getting hit with more sand, I roll over to Kirsten. We make shapes out of the clouds, like how little kids do.

"That one looks like a hippogriff!" Kirsten points out.

"And that one looks like a unicorn!" I say excitedly. Kirsten, though, doesn't look too excited at my discovery.

"Did you just say, 'unicorn'?" she asks slowly.

"Uh, yeah."

"It's happening!" she screams, looking horrified.

"What's happening?" I inquire, extremely confused.

"Okay, I'm going to say a word, and you're going to say the first thing that comes to you're head," Kirsten explains, ignoring my question.

"Alright?" I say uncertainly, leaning up on my elbows.

"Color."

_Yellow._ "Pink." Huh?

"Boys," she says.

_James._ "Butterflies," I reply. Wait, what?

"Uh, Voldemort," she suggests, taking a newspaper clipping out of her pocket. The headline reads: You-Know-Who at Large.

I instantly remember the dream that I had on the airplane. "Pink unicorns," I say, laughing.

The look on Kirsten's face instantly stops my laughter. She appears to have just seen Voldemort himself.

"I knew it," she mumbles. "I knew it. You're turned into a… a…"

"Just say it!" I yell, releasing my pent up frustration.

"A PINK FREAK!!!" Kirsten sobs dramatically. "You might as well apply for Beauxbatons!"

"I am not a pink freak!" I deny while throwing a glance at the fighting friends. James and Sirius are still rolling around, like a pair of kindergarteners fighting over the best crayons.

"Denial is not just a river in Egypt!" Kirsten screams. "I need to anti-girl you immediately."

"What?" I ask, having become very perplexed.

"Anti-girl. De-feminize. Menos muchacha. Take your pick." As if that helps at all. Before I can start yelling, though, Kirsten throws a great wad of wet sand at me.

"What was that for?" I yell, bewildered and a little mad.

"It's the first step," she explains, tossing more sand my way (which I try to dodge). "You have to get very dirty."

"That makes no sense!" I plead, running around as Kirsten tries to anti-girl me. Finally, she stops.

"Hmm, I think we're done here," she states, examining my sand-covered body. "Time for the next stage." With that, she grabs me and tries to drag me into her house.

"James!" I call out for help. He stops fighting Sirius for a moment and attempts to run to me. Sirius stops him, holding him back.

"Lily! I have to tell you something!" he shouts, struggling against his friend.

"Don't let her torture me, James!" I scream back. Then we're both dragged in opposite directions, like a very dramatic movie.

I'm thrown onto the Potter's couch by Kirsten who moves towards the television. She pushes a few buttons, and a movie comes on the screen.

"What's this?" I ask, extremely confused.

"This is stage two," she replies.

We watch the show for a few minutes in silence, and then the title shows up.

"James Bond?" She has got to be joking.

"That's right! James Bond is the guy equivalent to a chick-flick," she explains, smirking. "So we are going to watch as many Bond movies as it takes to anti-girl you."

"This is ridiculous." I pout and lean into the couch, not caring if I get sand all over it. I hate James Bond movies. The only thing good about them is that James Bond has the same name as my James.

**Two hours later:**

"He's right behind you! Look out, James!" Kirsten screams, jumping up and down on the couch.

"James! The place is going to BLOW UP!!!" I shout, jumping with her.

"Watch the hat!"

"He's got a GUN!"

Man, I love James Bond. He's awesome.

As the movie ends, Kirsten and I collapse into the comfy couch.

"Let's examine our progress," Kirsten announces as she turns off the TV. "If I'd say, 'gun,' you'd say…?"

"A pink sniper rifle. And I'd shoot Sirius with it."

"Okay, we're making progress," she says. "Now, we're going to need two brooms and some eggs."

I grab the broomsticks, Kirsten gets the eggs, and we head out to the beach. Surprisingly, James and Sirius are still wrestling on the sand. When he sees me, though, James springs up and rushes towards me.

"Lily! How are you feeling from the fall? Do you need ice or anything?" he asks.

Before I can answer, Sirius jumps up as well and looks confused. "What fall?"

James blanches and looks to me. I nod and give in. Sirius would find out anyway. "I fell out of my window last night," I explain, blushing.

"You _did_?" he asks, incredulously.

"Yep." This is embarrassing.

"Awesome!" Sirius exclaims as Kirsten laughs. This is the first she's heard of this as well. "We're falling buddies!"

"Uh, I guess so."

Sirius is oddly excited about this. "You know that part, right after you land, when you kinda vibrate on the ground?" He waits for my nod, and then continues. "Wasn't that awesome?"

"Yeah. It was great" is the only thing I can think of to say. Then Kirsten starts to drag me off again.

"Sorry, boys, but we have some business to attend to," she tells them. James steps up, though.

"But I really need to talk to you, Lily," he manages to say before Sirius tackles him again.

"As I said before, you can't tell her that!" he yells as they roll around…again. "What about Moony?"

"I'll just tell my part of it!" James replies, panting in exhaustion.

"She's smart! She'll figure it out!"

After that, I can't hear anything else because Kirsten shoves me onto a broom and we take off.

"This is stage three," she says once we're airborne. "This stage is simple. We are going to chuck these eggs at those idiots." She gestures to the tumbling baboons below us. "I'll go first," she says, tossing an egg downwards.

"Wait!" I call, but it's too late. I race after the egg, and pluck it out of the sky.

"What did you do that for?" Kirsten yells at me.

"I'm not going to egg my boyfriend!" I shout back.

"But this is part of the anti-girling process!"

"I don't care about the stupid process! Why are you doing this anyway?"

"What?" she asks, looking away from me.

"This whole anti-girl thing—and acting like I have a disease. I'm happy! What's wrong with that?" By now, I'm screaming my head off. Kirsten appears to be concentration very hard on a fluffy cloud.

Looking away from the cloud, she mutters, "You didn't have to be so pacific."

"Huh?"

"Suspific. Pacific. Spe—oh, you know what I mean!" she yells exasperatedly.

"Specific?"

"Yeah. That's the one." She has a bitter edge in her voice.

"What's up with you?" I ask, flying a little closer to her.

"I don't know!" she bellows, and I move backwards. "I feel like I don't know you anymore! You spend all of your time with James, and on the off chance that you're not with him, he's all you talk about!" She pauses and takes in a shaky breath. "And you've become obsessed with pink."

"I have not!" I say, offended.

"Have you looked at what you're wearing?" she asks.

I look down at my outfit. It turns out that I'm wearing black shorts with a pink stripe down the side, and a violently hot pink shirt. I didn't even notice putting on all of this pink this morning. I'll bet my underwear is pink, too.

"Oh."

"Yeah. You've changed so much lately," she mumbles. "I've lost my pranking, crazy, and totally insane friend."

"Did you see what I did to James this morning? That marker mustache?"

"Oh yeah," she admits. "You've still changed, though."

"I didn't realize how differently I've been acting," I say, flying towards her. "I'm really sorry. And I promise if I ever wear too much pink again, I'll watch as many James Bond movies with you as you want."

Even if she doesn't want it, I reach out and give her a one-arm hug (seeing as we're both hovering in the air above the shore). She gives in and hugs me back, accidentally dropping the eggs. We can hear them hit something, then the recognizable voice of Sirius Black shouts:

"WHAT THE HELL!"

We both laugh and soar back down to the sand. I manage to see Sirius trudge back into the house, probably to clean up. James spots me and calls my name. As he approaches, I throw Kirsten a pleading look.

"Oh, all right!" she sighs, giving in. She follows Sirius into the house, and James and I are finally alone. We sit in the sand and gaze out at the setting sun.

"I have to tell you something."

A/N: What is he going to tell her??? Okay, it's not that big of a surprise, but whatever. Also, I hope I didn't offend any girls with by saying James Bond was anti-girl. I, personally, like those movies (and I am a girl). My brothers always say that those movies are the guy versions of chick-flicks.

I promise to update soon, like within the next week or two.

Happy belated 4th of July to all of my fellow Americans! And happy almost HP5 movie and HP7 book! I'm so excited!!!!

Remember to review! (don't forget! I'll know if you do!!!!)


	21. Couple's Therapy

A/N: Okay, I know I said I would have this up sooner, but I got really busy. I had a theatre camp (we put on Footloose in one week), and then the HP7 book came out (and it was awesome). So it took me a while to have time to write.

Thanks for all of the lovely reviews, people! I didn't think my last chapter was very good, but apparently you all liked it, which makes me happy. Thanks!

Disclaimer- It's hard coming up with more witty ways to say that I don't own Harry Potter. It really is hard.

**Chapter 21: **Couple's Therapy

_Previously: …James and I are finally alone…_

_"I have to tell you something."_

"Really," I say sarcastically. "I had no idea that you wanted to tell me something. It's not like I've been trying to be alone with you all day so you could tell me this something…"

"Well, every time I have tried to tell you 'something', I have been thwarted by the evil Blacks," James continues, and I laugh. I love how we can bounce off of each other, drawing laughs. It makes me feel completely happy.

He smiles.

"Now, though," I chuckle, "I don't see any of the infamous Blacks."

"Right." His smile vanishes. "I have a… um… secret. Well, it's not really a secret; it's a thing I haven't told you… Well, I guess that is a secret. Anyway, it's been killing me not telling you. I want to know everything about you, and I want you to know all there is to know about me."

He pauses, waiting for me to say something. I try to lighten the atmosphere. "Oh God, you're not married, are you?" I ask in fake concern. "Or maybe that's not your real hair color… I've got it: you have a crush on Snape! Okay, I'll admit, I'm kinda jealous, but you two would make a lovely couple—"

"I'm serious, Lily," James mutters, stopping my joke and looking down at the sand.

I sense this is not the time for one of Sirius's serious jokes.

"But if Snape actually likes you, I'd have to beat him up. Nobody takes you from me," I giggle. He just looks at me like I'm crazy. "I'm sorry," I say, putting my arm around him. "Please continue."

"Well, we—" he starts reluctantly.

"We?" I interrupt.

"I mean I… um… well…" he stutters hopelessly. Understanding flashes before my eyes.

"Do you not want to tell me?" I ask, trying to keep the hurt out of my voice.

"Of course I want to!" he exclaims, staring into my eyes. "Would I have fought with Sirius all bleeding day if I didn't?"

I sigh and snuggle closer to him. "Okay, but just spit it out!"

"All right." James takes a deep breath and continues, "The reason my friends call me Prongs is… in fifth year we—I, um, well… this."

He steps away from me, and his eyes search through me to see if I'll freak out. Then his body changes shape. His arms and legs extend. His hands and feet change and morph into hooves. He's on all fours on the ground. Soft fur covers his body as two branches come out of his head. His face becomes longer, but his hazel eyes remain the same. Within seconds, I'm staring at a beautiful stag, just like the one in my dream.

I reach out and stroke its beautiful face. My hands touch the impressive antlers, and suddenly I get it. "Prongs."

Slowly, the creature turns back into James, looking uncertain of my reaction. "Well—"

"It's amazing! I've heard even powerful adults cannot pull off becoming an Animagus. And you did it at school!" He smiles as I praise him (he does have a rather large ego). "But I didn't know that you could register if you're underage."

He looks uncomfortable again as he starts, "Uh, we aren't registered."

"What?" I shout. Being an illegal Animagus is against the law. He could be sent to Azkaban for that! But then I remember something. "Wait, 'we'?"

"I! I meant _I _am not registered…" I don't listen as my brain works overtime, putting the puzzle pieces together.

"Sirius is Padfoot: he must be a bear, or a dog, or something like that. Peter is Wormtail... maybe a mouse, or a rat. And Remus… Moony, because he's a werewolf!"

James looks stunned. I don't think he meant for me to get this far. "Remus… werewolf… you're crazy!"

"James," I reprimand, "please don't insult my intelligence."

"His mum gets sick a lot—"

"James!" I shout to get his attention. When he stops muttering, I go on. "I've known since second year. It's not hard to figure out."

"Then why didn't you say anything?" he asks, his eyes confused and adorable. He reminds me of a lost puppy.

"Remus is my friend. I respect his decision whether or not to tell me. Until he does, if he does, I'll keep his secret."

"You're amazing," he says astonished.

"I know," I smile, and recap. "So you and your friends are illegal Animagi who go and keep a werewolf company as he transforms."

He looks stunned again. "How—"

"I noticed that you started disappearing with when Remus was gone. I could only guess that you were with him. Where do you go, anyway?"

"The Whomping Willow has a tunnel under it. It leads to the Shrieking Shack," he explains, looking proud.

"Oh! Now I get it!" It all makes sense now.

"I knew you'd underst—"

"Understand? How you could be so stupid? I know he's your friend, but what if you got bitten? Or caught? Or what if you die? Huh? How could I go on withou—I can't believe you would put yourself in such danger!" I shout at his face. My concern for him has bubbled over into angry tears. I look away and hope that he doesn't notice. Stupid tears…

"Lily," he says, pulling me up and putting his hands on my shoulders. When I don't look up, he gently lifts my chin to stare into my eyes. "I would never let that happen. I could never leave you." He tenderly wipes the tears from my eyes, ironically causing more to fall. What can I say? I'm a girl. "And we'd never get caught," he laughs.

"How can you be sure?" I counter, trying to control my voice.

"Wait here." And he runs off.

"Wha?" I ask, but he's already gone. I'm forced to contemplate what he just told me until he returns. When he does, he's holding an old cloak, a little mirror, and a blank piece of parchment. He holds them up as if I'm suddenly supposed to understand something.

"I'm lost," I announce when James doesn't say anything. I know I'm smart, but I'm not that smart. Maybe if a teacher reads the paper, it will blow up! And the cloak is really a black hole that sucks people up—

"Watch," he commands (interrupting my scenario) and puts the cloak on over his head. I'm shocked for a moment as he disappears. Understanding hits me in the face.

"An Invisibility Cloak?"

He appears again and nods. Aw. The black hole sounded so cool. "And this." He holds out the paper and I step closer to get a better look. I start to wonder if it really will blow up when James takes out his wand and taps it. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Instantly, ink appears on the once blank parchment. I study it for a few seconds, and I see what it says.

"The Marauder's Map?"

"Yep," he replies looking proud.

We sit in silence for another second. "Yeah, I still don't get it."

"Look." And I do. I study the map and see that it is actually a map of Hogwarts. There are little labeled feet of teachers moving around it!

"It shows where the people are?" I ask in astonishment.

"Uh-huh," he mumbles, looking affectionately at the map.

"You made this?" Wow. This is really advanced magic.

"Uh-huh." As he says this, writing appears on the page.

_"Mr. Moony would like to point out that Mr. Prongs has a rather large head and is forgetting to mention that his friends did most of the work._

"Mr. Padfoot agrees with Mr. Moony, but laughs at the thought of actually doing work

**"Mr. Wormtail expresses his agreement and would like to congratulate Ms. Lily on her intelligence.**

_"Mr. Prongs thinks that all of his friends are back-stabbing gits. He also thinks that Ms. Lily is looking especially beautiful this evening."_

I uncontrollably blush as I read the last one. James smiles broadly, and taps it again.

"Mischief managed," he says as all of the ink vanishes.

"Figures," I mutter.

"And this." He holds up the little mirror. "Sirius has one just like it. We can use it to communicate with each other."

"Cool," is all I can say.

Then Sirius comes running from his house, his hair dripping wet. He runs at full speed, and before he reaches us, he stops with exhaustion. He then finally arrives at his intended destination.

"You can't tell her!" he yells between gulping in air.

"Um," starts James, looking very guilty, "too late."

And the plot moistens.

Sirius just stares in shock. "What?" Now he sounds angry.

"You heard me," James spits back. Uh-oh. This could get ugly. (Like Sirius's face. He, he, he.)

The laugh at my inward burn is lost as Sirius launches himself at my boyfriend. Working quickly, I whip out my wand and carefully cast a Shielding Charm between them. The two boys promptly fly apart in opposite directions before they could hurt one another.

"Okay, boys. We are going to sit down and have a little chat. There are obviously a lot of bottled-up emotions spilling over. Let's get all of our feelings out in the open, so we all can understand what is going on between the two of you," I explain in my therapist voice. That's right, I have a therapist voice. What are you going to do about that? Huh?

"The only thing that is going on is that I want to pound his face," Sirius remarks, throwing death glares at James. They are really good death glares, too. I'm kinda the master of death glares. But that is neither here nor there. Anyway:

"Yeah, Lily. Just stay out of this," says James, glaring back. Not at me, at Sirius. James would be dead if he ever glared at me.

"WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS!!!!!" I scream, letting rage and fury fill my voice. They look scared for their lives (and they should be). "Both of you, in the house." When they don't move, I yell, "NOW!"

I wave the shield away as they scamper into James's house. I sit them down on the sofa (where they immediately scoot to the opposite ends to get as far away from the other as possible), and I place myself across from them on a chair.

"Sirius," I start, but he avoids my gaze, "why the sudden anger towards James?"

He appears reluctant to start, but then he says, "Because he broke a Marauder Pact! He told you about us!"

"James, what do you have to say to this?" I inquire, calmly ignoring the hostile tone of his voice.

"She already knew most of the stuff!" he shouts, turning to his friend. "She had already figured most of it out."

"Whatever," Sirius mumbles, looking down.

"Sirius, why didn't you want James to tell me about all of this?" I ask him.

Now, he looks a little guilty. "Well, I thought—I thought that when you guys break up, she would use the information to get back at us. I don't care about being unregistered, but I couldn't let you do that to Moony."

"Padfoot, that doesn't matter," says James, "because Lily and I are never going to break up."

This doesn't appear to make Sirius feel any better, so I add, "And on the off-chance that we do, I would never want to hurt any of you. You all are my friends."

"Really?" asks Sirius in disbelief.

"Yeah," James and I say together.

"Prongs, mate," Sirius starts, "I'm sorry I kept trying to stop you. You should tell everything to Lily. She's going to be around for a while." He laughs. "Around for a while." I like the sound of that.

"I'm sorry too. I should have talked to you about it, instead of running off to Lily. Please forgive me…" James pleads, but I stop paying attention. Lily Evans: Couple's Therapist. Making the world a better place for all. I am really good at this!

The two friends embrace, and then Sirius takes off. James and I are alone again.

I step forward and start, "James, I'm glad tha—"

"Why do you keep doing this?" he shouts, cutting me off.

"What?" I ask, bewildered and befuddled.

"You keep forcing yourself into my life!" he screams, roughly throwing a pillow onto the couch. I'm shocked at the way the conversation has turned.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, fear and confusion entering my voice. The loving glow has gone from his eyes. Instead, they are glazed with hatred. It startles me.

"You show up on my vacation—"

"That was a coincidence!" I yell, but he continues as if he doesn't hear me.

"And you keep forcing yourself on me and my problems! You have to fix everything that is wrong with my life!" he roars, and I feel tears start to slide down my face. This outrage has come out of nowhere. Seconds ago we were all hunky-dory. I'm the one who fixed everything, so I'm a little angry at his attitude.

"So, I don't get a 'thanks for saving my friendship and for helping me to avoid getting my face smashed in by my best friend'?" I ask bitterly.

"THAT'S MY POINT!" he screams. I can't help but think that James is going to be awfully hoarse after this.

"I was just trying to help." I try to keep calm, but I can feel the control over my emotions start to leave.

"I'M SICK OF YOU'RE HELP!" he bellows and I freeze. What happened to, "We're never going to break up"? But then Kirsten skips down the stairs.

"I hear shouting," she calls. "What did Black break this time?" She sees my face (and the tears trickling down it) and looks shocked. "What is going on?" she asks, but I can't answer.

"I'M SICK OF YOU IN MY LIFE!" he continues. I'm rooted to the spot, unable to move. "YOU'RE SUCH A LITTLE WITCH!"

Except, he didn't say, "witch."

It's as if my brain wants to protect me. I don't react at all to what my boyfriend just said. I gaze upon him instead of drowning. His once gentle hands are balled and threatening. The lips that have kissed me are now pressed and hurtful. His loving eyes are seeping with fury. But I can't say anything. I only respond my creating more tears.

After a long and torturous pause, Kirsten says, "I seem to have gone temporarily deaf. What did you just say?"

"You heard me," James replies, his voice cold and quiet.

I don't say anything because I know that my voice would only betray me. I find my legs and turn around.

"James! What—how—you—you—FUDGE!" Kirsten yells.

Except, she didn't say, "fudge."

I don't look back though. I'm like a robot, just programmed to return home. An arm around my shoulder frightens me, but then I realize that it is Kirsten, guiding my back to my house.

I soak up everything as we trudge through the sand. The black sky without a single star. The ocean crashing against the shore. The sand in my flip-flops. Tears hitting the doormat. Echoing footfalls against the stairs.

We get to my room and Kirsten sits me on my bed. It's hard to believe that only this morning, Kirsten was worried about me becoming obsessed with pink. That seems like lifetimes ago. Everything has changed so quickly.

I'm dead with exhaustion, but I know that I won't be able to sleep. I think Kirsten knows this as well. With a wave of her wand, a small TV, some videos, a box of tissues, and a pile of chocolate that could probably feed a small country fly into my room. As the items settle on the floor, Kirsten engulfs me in a sorely needed hug. She hands me the tissues, and without another word, she pops in a movie, as I try to drown my sorrows in chocolate.

It's painfully ironic that James—I try to ignore the ache in my heart as I think his name—and I are the ones that need couple's therapy now. I try to avoid thinking about him by staring mindlessly at the television screen. Eventually, an agonizing sleep filled with heartbreak swallows me whole.

A/N: Okay, I know this chapter was really short, and it kinda sucked. It is important, though. It's not like, "Will James and Lily get back together?" 'cause of course they do! (they get married and have Harry, duh!) It's about how they get back together and why the fight happened in the first place. I know that's confusing, but just pretend you know what I'm talking about.

The whole "He didn't say witch" thingy was from How I Met Your Mother. Funny show…

And wasn't the Deathly Hallows just AMAZING!!! (I'm assuming that if you're reading this, you're as obsessed with HP as I am, and will have finished the book ages ago).

Anyway, drop me a review (even though this chapter was pathetic)!


	22. Chocolate Hangover

A/N: I'm glad that you all thought the last chapter wasn't pathetic. Thanks for all of the positive reviews. No, I am NOT crying… sniff, sniff.

Disclaimer- I solemnly swear that I am up to no good, and that I do not own anything. Mischief managed.

**Chapter 22: **Chocolate Hangover

"Hey, Lily! Wait for me!" James calls, jogging to my side. We're strolling in the most beautiful forest, just enjoying each other's company. Golden yellow, orange, red, and brown leaves dance in the air before lightly touching the ground around us. They crunch musically beneath our feet. The clear sky is barely visible through the tall trees towering above.

I'm slightly startled as a strong hand touches mine. I smile at the warmth. Our fingers entwine. A bubbly feeling erupts in the pit of my stomach. I feel—even at the risk of sounding completely clichéd—warm and fuzzy. There's no place in the world that I'd rather be. Well, I'd be happy anywhere, as long as I'm with James.

He suddenly laughs. The sound reverberates through my body, instantly making me smile. "What?" I ask, trying to find out the reason for the unexpected outburst.

"Nothing," he replies. "It's just that I've liked you for such a long time. I can't believe we're finally together." He smiles, and I stare deeply into his eyes. My mind wanders as I find myself mesmerized by the brown pools of his eyes with green flakes within them. I never noticed that before.

We talk easily and fluidly. Time seems to have stopped for us. Once, a leaf floats into his messy hair. I stop to fix it, ignoring my heart leaping wildly in my chest.

Deeply engrossed in the conversation, James suddenly flies forward (having tripped on a log), pulling me with him. We land in a pile of leaves with a swish. Well, James lands in the leaves. I kinda land on his chest. I turn to apologize, not bothering to get up, but he just grins and holds me tighter. I nuzzle closer, engulfed in color.

"Laying here with you in my arms," James starts, searching for words, "well, I feel like you'll be here with me forever."

"I will be here forever," I say instantly, without having to think. I gaze into his eyes to re-enforce my words.

Eventually, our eyes are drawn above to the swirls of leaves drifting downward. A stunningly crimson one catches my attention. I follow its path towards the ground, but its color starts to fade. I lose the warmth around me.

My eyes fly open.

I'm staring at my alarmingly white ceiling. It starts to spin, and I realize that I'll be nursing a chocolate hangover for most of the day. I notice that my bed has gotten a lot harder… nope, that's the floor. I'm still sprawled on the carpet from last night's "Make Sure Lily Doesn't Kill Herself" party. My head is resting on a pile of chocolate wrappers (which has apparently taken over the position as my pillow). I'm still wearing the clothes I had on yesterday. Crumpled tissues litter the floor.

My dream finally registers in my brain. As a result of this, I control the urge to burst into tears. Instead, I whack my palm against my forehead repeatedly, chanting, "Get out of there!" over and over.

But my hand tingles where he held it.

His laugh rings in my ears.

I sigh in defeat. Why did this have to come now? I know that I'm hopelessly in love with James still, but I have to forget him. He doesn't want me anymore. He made that perfectly clear last night.

But as I try not to think about him, his goofy grin swims into my mind.

"No," I moan, forcing my eyes closed. He's there, too. Sitting on a rock in the middle of the ocean, dripping wet. Lip-syncing his song to me from below my window. Throwing paint balloons at Kirsten and Sirius.

Aw, come on, brain. Stop torturing me! Maybe if I get a stupid song stuck in my head, I'll stop thinking about him! Okay, here we go:  
_We all live in the yellow submarine! The yellow submarine! The yellow submarine! We all live in the yellow submarine! The yellow submarine! THE YELLOW SUBMARINE!_

Hmm, that's slightly better. Oh, God. I have to resort to singing stupid songs to stop thinking about the man that I love, but who doesn't love me. I'm pathetic!

Maybe Kirsten could hear my mind-singing, because she wakes up after my little song. She's sprawled right next to me, hugging my clock (don't ask). She looks lost for a minute, but then remembrance flashes in her eyes.

She sits up and looks at me sorrowfully. "Are you wallowing?" she asks quietly.

I sigh and think of an answer. I do feel really sad. And incomplete. "Yeah. I am wallowing."

"Uh, wallowing is normal," says Kirsten, for once being serious. I expect her to say, "Wallowing is a fun word. Wallowing, wallowing, wallowing." But she thankfully doesn't.

"Yeah. I guess so," I mutter listlessly, not taking my eyes off of the ceiling.

"Well, James is a moron. He doesn't deserve you," she declares, but I stop listening after she says his name. I've started another round of _The Yellow Submarine._

"James is so stupid and—" she continues, but I uncontrollably cut her off.

"THE YELLOW SUBMARINE!" I sing. She looks at me like I'm crazy. Oops. "Sorry," I mumble.

"That's okay," she whispers. She looks really torn. I guess she doesn't understand why her cousin freaked out either. At least I'm not the only one.

After a long pause, Kirsten speaks up again. "Wanna get some breakfast?"

Hmm, food. I like food… James likes food, too. James…

Will not cry. Must control chin quivering. Will not show emotion.

"No, I'm fine," I lie mechanically after another long silence. I don't mention that by fine, I mean falling apart. "I'll be okay."

I don't think either one of us believes that.

"Alright." It's clear that we have no clue what to do in this situation. I've never opened my heart so much and had it broken this badly. It took a lot less time for me to fall apart than I thought. It hurts.

Suddenly, a pebble clanks against my closed window. I stare at it, and a wave of sadness hits me in the chest.

"Hey, Lily!" The sound of his voice catches me off guard. Silent tears start to trickle down my face. I roll over, so my back is facing the window. Kirsten gets up.

"What do you want?" she spits contemptuously after opening the window with too much force than necessary.

"You're not Lily," James says in surprise.

"No shit, Sherlock." I think Kirsten is going to kill him.

"Whoa," he exclaims, noticing the hatred dripping in her voice. "What's wrong?"

This, apparently, is the absolute wrong thing to say. "You don't remember what you said? What you did to her?" she shouts, practically hanging out of the window.

"No."

He doesn't even remember that he just shattered my heart beyond repair. More tears spill over my eyes as I force myself to stop listening. I don't know how long they talk, but Kirsten heading for my bedroom door catches my attention.

"Where are you going?" I ask, sitting cross-legged on the floor, wiping my eyes with a used tissue from the floor.

"I'm going to kick his arse, the stupid wanker," she replies, reaching for her wand.

"No!" This catches her by surprise.

"What?"

"Don't hurt him. I don't want anyone else to get hurt." The words tumble out of my mouth hopelessly.

She pulls me into a hug. "Don't worry. I won't kill him."

With that, she briskly strides out the door, muttering something along the lines of, "He's not good enough for her." But I don't wait for her to come back. I stand up and grab my old broom. Not even bothering to change or wash up, I walk out to the hall. To make sure I won't be seen, I fly through a window on the opposite side of the house. I lose the little control I had over my emotions as I soar over the ocean, going faster than I ever have before. I don't think at all. I just fly. Straight into the horizon. No turning back.

Eventually, my stomach needs food, no matter how much it makes me think of him. During my flight, I've decided that I will not drown in sorrow. I will be strong. I've lived for sixteen years without James Potter as more than a friend. I sure as hell can continue without him. I just need some time to forget.

As I approach my house, I notice that James and Kirsten are no longer outside. They must have moved their little chat indoors. Now that I think about it, I have no idea how long I was shooting over the water. Judging by the monstrous growls animating from my stomach, it has been a long time.

I fly around the Potter house, trying to see figures inside. As I come around to the window that looks into the family room, I something catches my eye. The bushes by the window are somewhat flattened and messy. The sand has weird prints in it.

I soon forget about it, though, as my stomach growls again. I head off to my house before I eat the bush.

My mouth waters as I whip up a turkey sandwich with a bowl of fruit and a huge chocolate chip cookie. I take it upstairs on a tray, to eat in my room. I almost drop it as I see my room. I can barely make out the carpet under all of the tissues. Grabbing my wand, I make them vanish with a swish. A bright pink notebook catches my eye.

**Af? Are you there?**

After a short pause, familiar handwriting flows onto the page.

_I'm here, Lils. What's up?_

**I need to talk to you.**

I tell her everything that has gone on. The anti-girling process. The secret that he told me (but I didn't tell her the details of that secret). The fight. The dream. Even about my new favorite song.

_He is such a stupid—(censored for good reason). I am going to kick his—_

**I think Kirsten already beat you to the punch. I haven't seen either of them since this morning.**

_Well, I hope she kills him. He deserves it._

I don't reply to this, but I know she'll take it as agreement.

_I just don't get it though. That… uh… outburst doesn't seem like James. _

I don't understand what she means. **Please elaborate.**

_Well, the boy has been practically in love with you since we were eleven. And after only a month of dating, he says he's sick of you in his life? That doesn't seem right._

**Af—**

_I know that he can be obnoxious sometimes, but I don't think he would do something this radical._

**But he did. I don't care if it isn't something he would do. He did. And he took my heart with him.**

_So what are you going to do about it?_

**I'm going to be strong. I'm going to forget about what we had. **My plan even sounds pathetic to my own ears.

_Forget? You should be fighting, not forgetting!_

**Afhton, I—**

_I've known you forever, Lily. I know that you're going to be strong to the point of breaking. You can't just forget, Lils! You can't! You have to face up. You're taking the easy way out because you know that you still love him. Don't you?_

I think a lot about my answer. Sure, it's only been a few weeks, but those weeks have been the best in my entire life. I've never felt so alive—

**I do love him. **I love him. And I can never tell him. **But it's too late.**

_Then fight! _She is not going to give up on this! _Something is up, I know it! Go and talk to him! Figure it out!_

**I can't talk to him. I can barely stand to hear his name. I'm not ready for that.**

_Lily, I'm not going to let you throw this away. Promise me you won't give up._

**I don't know…**

_Promise._

I can't do it. It's too much. **I have to go. Thanks for listening.**

_Anytime. _I can almost hear the disappointment in her writing. I pointlessly hope that she doesn't notice my lack of a promise. I know that I'm just getting my hopes up. There's no way that she missed that fact.

I close the notebook and wipe the teardrops off of the cover. I'm crying again. It seems that all I do now is cry. I try to compose myself by reading my favorite book. I can't concentrate, and the time passes slowly. I make myself dinner, eating again in my room. My mum comes and knocks on the door, wondering why I've decided to contain myself in my room. I tell her I'm not feeling well.

Around twilight, Kirsten enters my room again.

"Did you kill him?" I ask sarcastically and bitterly.

"No," she replies. "We talked."

"Spectacular." Afhton's words resound in my head. She can't be right.

"And… well, he says that, um…" she stammers.

"Yes?"

"He thinks that he was placed under the Imperius Curse."

"What?"

"Okay," Kirsten starts, "I know it sounds ridiculous, but he claims that he can't remember anything after he and Black made up. He just woke up this morning, thinking everything was hunky-dory. How else do you explain why he just showed up here?"

"This is crazy!" I shout. I bet he just thought of this plan to get out of the mess he made. It's just like at school; he always scams his way out of detention. "Who would put James under the Imperius Curse? Why would they bother?"

"James figures it's Voldemort's doing," she says, pacing around my room, throwing her hands in the air.

"And why would Voldemort be wasting his time by breaking us up?" This is too ridiculous.

"James thinks that Voldemort wants to eliminate future threats. You two are very powerful, especially together. He wants you out of the way," she explains.

I suddenly remember the bushes outside of James's window. That must have been where the Death Eater took control of him. If that's even what happened.

"And how do you reckon the Dark Lord found us all the way in Carmel?" How does James explain that one?

"Search me. I didn't even think to ask him that!" she laughs. That's a reassuring answer.

Still, it does kind of make sense. I can't deny that. Even Afhton reckons that James was acting out of character. This theory could be plausible.

Like a giant collapsing after too many drinks, I something hits me. I remember the way James's eyes looked glazed with fury. They seemed unnatural, not normal…

But even if it is true, I don't know if I can open my heart again, after this much damage. We've only been going out for a month, and I've fallen apart. I can't go through this again.

"Just one more thing," I state after a thoughtful pause. "Why isn't James over here telling me this?" I inquire, flopping onto my bed. "It seems that all you're saying is, 'James this thinks,' and, 'James claims that.'"

Kirsten laughs at this. "Puh-lease. Would you have listened to him?" She doesn't wait for my answer; she gives her own. "I don't think so. I knew the only way you two would have a shot is if you hear it from me. I almost had to tie him up from coming to you."

Still, this all seems too out there to be real. "And you believe all of this?"

"Yeah, I do." She sounds so sure.

"Well, I don't know. I have to think," I announce, looking for my pajamas. The sky has darkened alarmingly fast. All of this thinking has made me extremely tired. "I'm going to bed."

"Alright," Kirsten whispers awkwardly, leaving and closing the door behind her. I slowly change and crawl into bed. Tonight, I don't dream, but I toss and turn constantly. I can't figure out what to make of all of this. My brain won't shut off. I manage to drift off some time after midnight. But it doesn't last. I wake up again right before sunrise. I stare at my ceiling for a long time. My thoughts won't shut up, so I get up and drift through the empty house. The silence is eerie.

I walk out onto the beach. I want to wait and see the sun rise over the ocean. Then I stupidly realize that it rises over the land. Bloody perfect.

Trying not to think, I let me feet dabble in the water. But I can't stop the thoughts from flowing.

Even if the whole Imperius Curse story is true, how can I open up to him again? How can I continue if I know I'll get hurt again? I know how much it will hurt when it ends.

But I don't know if I can ignore the gaping hole that has formed in my chest. It aches every time I think about him and what we had together. I'm sure that the only time it will go away is when I'm with him.

There are so many things I don't know.

As I look up to see light littering the town, I see something else. It nearly makes me fall right onto my butt. The one person I can't stop thinking about is staring into the ocean about five feet from me.

He hears my sharp intake of breath and spots me as I violently turn around.

"Lily!" James calls in surprise. "Please don't go."

I go to take a step away from him, but he pleads, "Please." I stop. But I can't bring myself to turn around and face him.

"Lily, I cannot begin to say how sorry I am," he starts. I can hear the sadness in his voice. "I would never even dream of saying those things to you. I was forced. I wasn't strong enough to fight it."

Against my will, more tears pour down my face. I'm like a broken faucet.

"You mean so much to me. I can't imagine living without you," he declares. "Not seeing the blush spread on your face when you get embarrassed. Not seeing the light in your eyes when you fly. Not seeing you hex Sirius into the next century when he insults you. Not seeing you smile at me."

The whole Pacific Ocean seems to be tumbling out of my eyes now.

"I would never hurt you, Lily. You mean so much to me, more than you'll ever know."

As I hear him say this, I realize the one place I desperately want to be: in his arms.

"I love you, Lily. So much. And I know that I will love you forever." He stops when I don't say anything, and then adds, "As long as you'll have me."

I'm through with thinking. I'm tired of trying to figure everything out. For once, I act on impulse, blindly following my heart.

So I turn around, not caring if James sees my tears. I run to him and fling my arms around his neck. He stiffens in surprise at first, but then melts into my embrace. I bury my head into his chest, soaking his shirt with my tears. He strokes my hair and holds me close.

I don't know how long we stand in each other's arms. I don't know where we will go from here. The one thing I do know is that the world has stopped for us. Everything is right again. The hole in me has been filled.

I pull back a little. Standing on my tiptoes, I whisper in his ear. "I love you, too."

He grins my favorite grin and kisses my lightly. We sit together, in the sand, watching the light spill into the ocean. We just sit, wrapped up in each other's arms. For now, that is enough.

A/N: they're back together! Yay! I know that was a lot of emotions for one chapter. Sorry. This story is mostly a lot of comedy with little to zero drama. This chapter was compensating for that.

The Yellow Submarine is a glorious song. It is not stupid, but it is the most random song that I could think of. It's funny!

Anyway, I just saw this movie called Practical Magic with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. It was really funny and cute. I like that movie. Go watch it!

Well, please review and tell me what ya think. The next chapter will be up as soon as possible (which is only after I write it).

Until next time… (Ooo! That sounds mysterious!)


	23. Life Block

A/N: This took a lot longer than I originally thought, but I do have some really good excuses. My dog had her puppies a few weeks ago (which was also a week before they were due…) so I've been extremely busy with them. They are so adorable!

Also, my tennis boot camp started, so I've been busy with that as well.

And I've been depressed because summer is over, and I thought I would have this story done ages ago. Where did the time go?

Disclaimer- I am Claire-bear, on a chair with a pear, stroking my hair at a fair. I don't own this, but I don't care. … … Okay, I do.

**Chapter 23:** Life Block

Through all of that screaming and singing and death treats and uncontrollable sobbing, James and I have managed get closer. Over the next few days, we take our time. We're almost careful with each other; like another encounter with an Imperious curse might break us apart forever. I don't mind the slowness, though. It's nice to have a break from all of the craziness.

And even though we have all of the time in the world, I feel so confident in the present. Time together is enough. Just sitting with James on the sand makes me feel incredibly loved and happy. Words don't need to be spoken. And I can't stop smiling.

The two of us relax, enjoying the last summer days before we get dangerously close to going back to Hogwarts. When it's not just us, Kirsten and Sirius join. We're just four friends having a blast.

Nothing of particular importance happens until Wednesday morning. Kirsten, James, and I are enjoying a very verbal card game of War in the sand.

"Beat that queen! I dare you!" Kirsten shouts, throwing down her queen with too much force than necessary.

"I don't want your stupid queen!" I retort, as I reveal my wimpy four of diamonds.

James flips his card over: a two of clubs. "You can have my two! May it lose for you next round!"

We continue with different variations of the above until Sirius staggers towards us. The frown on his face has him looking uncharacteristically gloomy. He plops down between Kirsten and James with his head down.

"What's wrong, mate?" James asks, temporarily stopping our game.

"Besides your face," Kirsten adds with a smirk.

"Ha, ha." Sirius's laugh is humorless. We all straighten up in seriousness. No pun intended. "Well, it's kinda embarrassing…" he mutters, prolonging the inevitable humiliation. "I got mugged," he finally admits.

"Oh, sorry, Padfoot," James says, patting his friend on the shoulder and cracking a smile. "How much money did they take?"

"No, it wasn't like that," he replies. "Let me explain. I woke up this morning, and it just looked like a brilliant day. So I went for a walk on the beach in my underwear." He pauses, and James and Kirsten nod their heads, signaling for him to go on.

Wait. Sirius walking around in his underwear—in public, no less—is normal?

When I voice this out loud, my three friends look at me like _I _am the crazy one.

"I was just minding my own business," he continues, "until someone chucked a coffee mug at my head!" To add to the impact of this story, Sirius tosses the said mug in the middle of our circle. I can't think of anything to say.

"So, when you say you got mugged, you mean that someone threw a cup at your head?" Kirsten clarifies, hiding a grin in a poorly disguised cough.

"Yes! And they had a good arm too. That really hurt!" Sirius whines. "I have a bump."

I don't know if it's the large welt on the side of Sirius's head or the depressed pout on his face that sends me over the edge. I'm able to contain my laughter for a good thirty seconds. I'm proud to have made it that far without cracking. But soon, all three of us are rolling in the sand, clutching our sides.

Sirius waits calmly until our chuckles die down. When all is silent, he declares, "I really don't see what is so funny."

I bite my tongue to keep from giggling. Not because I don't want to hurt Sirius's feelings—I do that on a daily basis—but because my abs are aching from the laugh attack. You'd think after all of this laughing that I should have a six-pack. Maybe that's how James got his! I'll have to ask him…

"I mean, I don't know why someone would want to hurt me so much," Sirius mumbles, picking the mug up again. "Everyone loves me!"

"Maybe," Kirsten suggests, "someone was trying to tell you to put some clothes on."

A squawk of laughter escapes from my mouth before I clap both hands over it.

"No," he answers, glaring in reply to my little outburst. "Someone was trying to hurt me. And they did." He stands up and wipes the sand off of his pants. "I really need to assess my life. I don't know where to go from here. I don't know what to do. I think I'm having a life block."

"A what?" James asks.

But Sirius is too far gone. He ignores his friend. "I need to think." With that, he stalks off to the Potter's house.

"Don't get a head ache!" Kirsten calls after him.

For the rest of the day, Sirius stays in his room, only emerging for food and the toilet. The calm around the beach is strange and unnerving. It's so weird not having an almost-clinically-insane-and-underwear-displaying crazy person running around.

"I hate to say it," James starts after a sunset broom race. We just got back, and Sirius is still locked away in his tower, "but Sirius is actually being serious."

"Oh, the irony!" I exclaim, pecking him on the lips. I did just whoop his butt in the race…

When I'm putting my pj's on for the night, I see Sirius's light still on in his window. He really is taking this "mugged" thing to heart. I'd go crazy in that kind of solitude.

As I finally close my eyes, the familiar sense of letting go doesn't come. I toss and turn, but sleep evades my attempt to grasp it. Instead, my mind keeps repeating Sirius's words. "A life block…"

I roll over.

In less than one year, I'm going to be thrown out into the world. No more nice-and-easy Hogwarts. No more, "Oh well! Just try again tomorrow." No more world where the worst thing that could happen is getting a detention. No more extensions or breaks. Just me verses the world… I'm not ready for this!

I roll over again.

Less than a year is really no time at all. And I have no idea what I want to do. What if I can't find the right job for me? What if I become a homeless, unemployed bum? What if I have to become a hooker?!? I can NOT become a hooker!

I roll over for another time in anger over my possible career choice. But I go the wrong way and almost hit the floor. I grab the end of my bed and steady myself, my heart beating fast.

Then I remember that I know what I want to do: I'm going to be a healer.

But what if I'm not good enough? What if I make a mistake and kill someone? I can't kill someone! It would kill me to accidentally end someone's life. It wouldn't just be murder, but suicide!

Then again, I've wanted to be a healer for a long time. What else could I do if that doesn't work out? I have so little time left to think about it!

A ticking noise fills my head. Time is so limited… _tick, tick, tick._

Wait, who put a clock in my room?

_Tick. _And seventh year is really important, too. What if I blow my N.E.W.Ts? What if I don't make Head Girl?

Who am I kidding; of _course _I'll make Head Girl!

_Tick. _Roll.

But what if I don't?

And what about James and me? And what if, by some chance, I happen to become a great healer? Am I just going to stay at home with the kids? I mean, I love 'em and all, but will I be able to do that?

Wait. We don't even have kids yet!

Roll. _Tick._

Oh my God. I think I'm having a life block.

Note to self: seek professional help if I ever consider going out in public in only my underwear.

_Tick. Tick. Tick._

Bloody clock!  
In a matter of mad desperation, I reach for my wand on the bedside table. "Lumos," I whisper, my eyes instantly stopping on the evil little noisemaker sitting harmlessly on my dresser. With a swish, I cast a silencing charm, and then blow it up.

Sighing, a feeling of accomplishment fills me. Maybe now I can get some sleep.

I'll have to remember to clean up the product of my frustration (pieces of blown up clock) in the morning.

When I do finally fall asleep, it is filled with nightmares of clocks and coffee mugs attacking me at St. Mungo's. Weird.

OoOoO

In the morning, I find myself staggering to the Potter's house. My lack of sleep has affected my ability to walk. Almost crashing into the door when I trip, I manage to catch myself before impact. I somehow make it into the house and collapse on the couch.

Kirsten is there.

"Whassup?" I ask drowsily.

"I've decided that I need a hobby," she declares, sitting straight up in her chair.

"Smashing," I say, forcing my eyelids open.

"Yeah," mutters Kirsten, smirking. "You're not listening." And before I can stop her (my reaction time has been seriously slowed—another side affect of my sleepless night), she conjures up a bucket of water.

And pours it on my head.

"What's your problem?" I exclaim, spitting water out of my mouth. Well, I'm definitely awake now.

"I need ideas," she says. "For my new hobby."

I perform a drying charm on myself. And the couch.

"How about you write a book?" I suggest, voicing the first thing that comes to my head.

"Ew. Too much thinking!" Oh, what could I have been thinking?

"Um, I'll think about it, okay?" I say. I can't come up with any other ideas.

"Alright-y then," she replies, leaping up and dragging me outside by the hand.

"What about knitting?" I propose an hour later when Kirsten and I are making sand castles. Mine looks strangely like Hogwarts…

"Are you crazy?" she cries out. "That's way too dangerous!"

Oh yeah, I think sarcastically. My grandmother liked to live on the edge. Knitting—she must have been insane!

"How about crocheting?" I suggest over lunch.

"That's worse than knitting!"

Obviously, Kirsten doesn't do hobbies like normal people. Honestly, I don't know how I expected any different. Painting is too artsy. Sleeping is too boring. Fishing is too fishy. I rack my brain, but Kirsten shoots down all of my brilliant ideas.

"Why don't you make finding a hobby your hobby?" I snap, my patience worn thin. We just made smores with a small campfire on the beach. It isn't even dark, though. We just wanted some.

"Psf! That's all you can think of! I thought you were supposed to be smart, Lily!"

Oh no she didn't! "Well, if you're so bloody brilliant, why don't you just come up with a stupid hobby?" I shout back, storming into the house.

Her face instantly softens as she follows me. "I'm sorry. I just can't think of anything."

"Why do you want a new hobby anyway?" I ask, trying to let go of my anger.

"Black's mug block or life cup or whatever got me thinking. I really haven't done anything with my life. I want to try new things," she explains.

Hmm. That reminds me, I haven't seen Sirius yet today. I hope he hasn't died.

And I haven't seen James at all either. I must be a terrible girlfriend; I didn't even notice that he was gone!

Almost if on cue, James strolls into the room. "Hello, ladies," he says, kissing me lightly on the cheek.

"Where've you been?" I ask, trying to make it sound like I didn't just realize that he was gone.

He holds up Sirius's mug. "I went to try and find the owner of this."

"Ha!" Kirsten laughs. "Did you find anything?"

"Nope, but I thought I should at least try. He is my best mate, after all. Even if he is acting like a little girl," he mutters, shaking his head. "I'm going to try to lure him out of his room with food."

As he sprints up the stairs two-at-a-time, Kirsten suddenly leaps out of her chair. "I've got it! My hobby!"

Silence. "Well?"

"World domination!" she screams, jumping up and down.

This is not good.

"This is perfect!" she continues, pacing around the room. "Ruling the world takes time, but not a lot of effort. And it's fun!"

"Oh. My. God," I mutter to myself, resting my head in my hands. So it won't fall off.

"And I have the qualities of someone who could take over the world. I'm a good leader, I'm smart, and funny—"

"And clinically insane," I add.

"What?" Kirsten asks me, looking puzzled.

"Nothing," I assure her. "Please carry on."

"And I'm good looking…" she continues. As she says this, I hear something upstairs.

"Ooo, chocolate!" Sirius exclaims.

"And I have great fashion sense. You can't rule the world and look bad!" she rambles, clearly enjoying this. I'm not too worried, though. It's just another one of Kirsten phases. They only last for an hour or two.

"Come get the chocolate!" James taunts from upstairs. "Come on, boy! Come and get it!"

James and Sirius make an appearance coming down the stairs. Kirsten spots them.

"You!" she yells and they jump. "Minions!"

"Huh?" they both say, sporting identical head tilts and befuddled expressions.

"I've decided to take over the world," she explains. "Lily is my second in command." Before I can object to this, she continues. "And you will be my evil minions."

"What's in it for us?" Sirius asks loudly, sitting on the couch.

"Uh, chocolate." Ooo, really?

"Okay," he says, satisfied.

"Then it's settled."

Do I get chocolate too? 'Cause that would be awesome!

"Okay, my first order as ruler of the world is to destroy all pine cones!" Kirsten declares, throwing a fist in the air.

"Uh, why pine cones?" James asks, voicing the question forming in my own head.

"Because they're alive! And I don't like them!" she shouts.

"Pine cones aren't alive," Sirius counters. "They are dead."

"No they're not. They're alive, duh!" she exclaims.

"They are dead!"

"Alive!"

"DEAD!"

"ALIVE!"

"Actually," I put forward, "they are dormant."

Pause. And then:

"So they're alive!" Kirsten yells.

"So they're dead!" Sirius shouts at the same time.

"So technically, you're both right," I say forcing myself between the two friends.

"No, _I'm _right!" they both scream.

"Dormant means alive!" Kirsten roars.

"It means dead!" Sirius bellows.

This is pointless.

Eventually Kirsten storms out the front door. Someone's a moody world ruler.

I reluctantly follow her out the door to find her sitting on the stoop. She's talking to a woman walking her dog.

"Come here, evil minion! Come here!"

Okay, she's talking to the dog.

"Come here, boy! Come on!"

She's lost it.

"Uh, Kirsten?" I start hesitantly. "What are you doing?"

As the woman pulls her dog away and practically sprints around the corner (can't blame her), Kirsten turns to me.

"I'm trying to recruit some new minions. Black is too stupid for this kind of work," she explains as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

I decide to sit with her, since I have nothing else to do. And I want to make sure Kirsten doesn't kidnap any little children.

After a while, a little boy comes to our door, wheeling a little cart behind him. He opens his mouth to speak, but Kirsten cuts him off.

"Do you want to be my evil minion? I have chocolate!" she tells him.

He actually considers the offer. I can practically see thoughts streaming behind his bright blue eyes. But then he shakes his head, bouncing the brown curls on his head.

"No thanks. I have to finish delivering these Girl Scout Cookies," he replies. "Would you like to buy some?"

"Wait a sec," Kirsten demands. "You are a boy, selling Girl Scout Cookies?"  
"Yeah," he admits, looking down. "My sister threatened me into it. If you're not going to buy anything, I have to go. 'Bye." And he strolls away.

"Poor kid," Kirsten mutters. Then she changes gears. "Okay, there are no good minions in this town." With that, she walks back inside.

With each passing of the hour, Kirsten becomes more and more absurd. She turns into a complete power-hungry monster.

She won't let go of the remote, even though she's not watching TV.

"I need to have control over it," she explained earlier.

She demands people to get her things, like water or chocolate or candy. When nobody does, she curses them to tap dance. Or she tickles them. After about an hour of this, James, Sirius, and I hold a conference.

"Okay, this is ridiculous," James states.

"Totally," Sirius adds.

"Let's have an intervention," I suggest. We stride back into the room and corner Kirsten on the couch.

"Kiri," James begins, "everyone loves you here. This is a safe place."

"Please," she mumbles. "Nowhere is safe as long as I'm around! World domination!" She extends her hands in open high fives, which no one returns.

"That's what we're here to talk about," I start as gently as I can. "Lately, you turned into a… well a…" I struggle to find the words.

"You're turning into the She-Moldy Shorts!" Sirius screams. He lists the crazy things that she's done, and Kirsten's eyes go wide.

"Oh my God! You're right! I am just like Voldy-mort!" she yells, disgusted. "I'm so sorry, guys. I had no idea! Oh God, how could I have not known? Oh, no! I think I'm having another cup!"

"You mean, life block?" Sirius asks.

"Yeah!" she exclaims. "I need to be alone." And with that, she runs up to her room.

And now there are three.

"Well, that was exciting," Sirius says. "I'm going to sleep."

And now there are two.

"Come on, Lily," James says, taking my hand. "It's late. I'll walk you home."

As we get to the darkness outside, he starts talking. "I've been thinking."

Oh no! Not James too!

"We should go on a date."

I can handle that!

"I've realized that we haven't really gone out since our first date. And that doesn't really count because we nearly got killed."

"Twice," I add, smiling.

"Twice," he repeats. "So, how about we go to dinner tomorrow night? Just the two of us, and we can get all dressed up, and I'll spend way too much money, and—"

I cut him off by standing on my tiptoes and kissing him gently. "That sounds great," I whisper.

A/N: okay, that wasn't where I was going to end this chapter, but I kinda ran out of room. I know this one didn't seem like anything happened, but I needed the life block idea to get into the dinner date which leads to the main conflict surprise thingy.

I love all of my reviewers/readers profusely and I would like to apologize about the long wait. I started this chapter about three weeks ago, and I had a lot of trouble with it.

Also, I would like to thank the real Kirsten for my Kirsten's idea for a new hobby. And for arguing with Henry about pinecones.

So, with that said, I hope that you all don't hate me. Please show that by reviewing!!!


	24. An Attack of Conscience

A/N: woo! Another chapter! Once again, sorry about the wait, but writing takes time, and I don't have much of it. Hopefully this chapter will make up for the plot-less one before it.

In response to a very confusing review from pinkfreak, I would like to say that I know Henry isn't a character. He is a real person that I know who says random things. He happened to say something about pinecones that made the real Kirsten very angry (thus inspiring a conversation in this fanfic).

Anyway, on with the next chapter! (only a few more left!!! (not too few though, like five or six))

Disclaimer- I almost forgot to put this in here. Could you imagine what would happen to me if I didn't say that I don't own Harry Potter? It's like ripping that tag off of mattresses that says "Do not remove" or whatever. It would be bad.

**Chapter 24:** An Attack of Conscience

Before I know it, I'm getting ready for my dinner with James. I don't know why, but I'm oddly excited for this. I feel like something really good is going to happen tonight. I don't know what though. Maybe the cheese puffs that I just ate are acting up…

The setting sun cast an orange glow throughout my room. As I rummage through my closet, my eyes spot a flash of green coming from within it. I keep searching, and I find the green and white dress that I bought with Kirsten. That would be perfect for our date! What luck!

It's going to be a great night. I just know.

And as I'm curling my hair with my wand (a delightful trick that Kirsten taught me), I catch another glimmer of green on my dresser. I go to investigate and image my surprise when I see the necklace that I found on the beach. The one that found me, I should say. The emeralds sparkle as if they are winking just for me. It's mesmerizing.

And it will match perfectly with my dress!

This is going to be awesome!

I hear jostling below my window, and the doorbell rings. I grab the necklace and clasp it around my neck. It chills my chest, but only for a moment. Racing to the door of my room, I try to fluff my hair up. But then something happens. Goosebumps ripple down my spine.

_Kill James._

Where did that come from?

_Must kill James._

I feel like I'm falling asleep, but I can't quite reach the peaceful state.

_James will die._

Okay, that was definitely not my thoughts!

_Kill._

This is not good.

I start to feel motion, and realize that I'm heading towards the door. No! I can't go to dinner with James—

_Kill James._

Shut up!!!

I don't want to kill James! Where is this coming from?

I try to stop my feet, but it doesn't work. Stupid, disobedient extremities! Why won't you obey me?

As I pass through the doorway, I grab the doorframe and hang on for dear life. My feet keep going, and soon I feel as if I'm going to split in two. But I hang on. I'm glad that my parents aren't walking down this hall right now. I imagine that hanging by my doorframe would be a weird sight. Suddenly, with a pop, my upper half is thrown forward off of the doorway. I crash onto the floor, sprawled out in an awkward position. It takes me about thirty seconds to realize that my dress flew up and my knickers are on display. My face reddens, even though no one witnessed my lack of lady-ness.

_I want to strangle James._

No I don't!

Against my will, I find myself walking down the stairs and through the front door where James is waiting for me. He looks adorable cute in a white button-up shirt and khaki pants. But that's not what I think. Not by a long shot.

_There he is! Kill him!_

No! Think about something else!

_I really want to run my hands through his hair!_

There. That's better.

"Hey there, gorgeous," James greats me, leaning close and kissing my on the cheek. But I'm having trouble controlling my thoughts again.

_One wand flick…_

Hand, do NOT reach for wand! Do NOT!

Unwillingly, my right hand starts floating towards my side. As soon as I realize what is happening, I fling my left hand out and smack it down. It floats up again. I whack it again. Float. SMACK!

At the same time, I'm thinking:

_Kill._

No.

_Kill!_

No!

_KILL!_

NO!

"Uh, Lily," James starts tentatively, "are you alright? You making really weird faces at me."

"Kill. No! Yes!" I shout. Then I correct myself. "I mean, yes, James, I'm fine."

He reaches his left arm out for me (in order to escort me to the car). My right hand is still having some… problems. I try to lift it up, but it automatically zooms to my side. I hit it down again. Bullocks.

"Lily?" James asks, with a tone that clearly says, "What are you on? (And where can I get some?)"

"I am not on anything," I declare to his unspoken question. I grab my right arm with my left hand and place it through James's.

"Is your arm okay?" he asks sincerely. Why do I have to have the caring, sensitive, notices-everything kind of boyfriend? This would be so much easier if I was going out with Sirius. Then again, I wouldn't be trying as hard not to kill him if it was Sirius.

"I, uh, had a, um, an accident," I manage to sputter.

"An accident?" he repeats, this time with concern. "What kind of accident? Are you okay?"

Bugger! Think, Lily. Think! "It was a, uh, knitting—" _knitting! That's what you come up with? _"—accident. Knitting is actually very dangerous. Crocheting is even worse." I am not good at lying on the spot, though if Kirsten is right, crocheting apparently is dangerous.

But James believes me anyway. "That must have hurt," he says and smiles sympathetically. "Are you feeling better?"

Why do I have to have the greatest boyfriend ever? What did I do to deserve this kind of pain?

"I'm fine," I reply.

OoOoO

We go to the nicest and probably most expensive restaurant in town. There are about fifty people waiting outside a lovely brick building with lights on the windows. I guess they don't have awesome boyfriends who get them awesome reservations. James leads me through them all, through the large metal door. Once inside, warm jazz music fills my ears, and a waiter escorts us to a romantic table in a private side of the room. A single candle sits on the table, along with fancy menus. This has to be nicest place I've ever been to.

I silently curse at my bad luck. The night that I just have to become possessed happens to be the same night that my super, awesome, caring boyfriend takes me on the most romantic dinner ever in the most expensive restaurant on the face of the planet!

Well, in the immediate Carmel area. But that's beside the point.

_Kill James._

No, I actually really like James. He takes me to expensive dinners where a steak costs more than a Goblin-made crown.

_You know you wanna._

I don't want to kill him. He loves me. And buys me nice things. But that's not why I love him. It's just a perk.

_Kill him._

"You've been awfully quiet tonight so far," James points out. "What are you thinking about?"

Oh great! I can't tell him that I'm secretly debating whether or not I want to kill him! A good girlfriend does not want her boyfriend to die. He would have me thrown into St. Mungo's with all the real crazy people if I told him that.

"I just can't believe that you're spending all of this money on me," I explain. That is partly true; I have been wondering. "I would have been happy just to stay at home with you."

"I know," he replies, taking my hand from across the table. "But I just want you to have the best. I love you."

"I—"

_—want to kill you! _

"No!" I shout. "I mean, I know that you love me. And I love you, James."

I can see that James is starting to notice my odd behavior, but he doesn't say anything about it. He is far too polite to flat out say that I'm crazy and should be locked up.

_Kill James Potter._

Okay, I need a new strategy here.

_The world would be better without him._

I know! For every bad thought I think about James, I'll counter with a compliment! Brilliant.

_James will die._

James is gorgeous. He has great hair, and a delightful personality.

_Kill him._

James is perfect. He is friendly, loving, caring, funny, a great Quidditch player, and a great boyfriend.

_James—_

IS SEXY!

Oh crap. Did I just shout that out loud into a restaurant full of people (that could probably afford to buy a castle as big as Hogwarts)?

"Lily?" James asks with a slightly embarrassed look. "I'm glad you think so, but I don't think all of these people need to know that."

"Sorry," I say, ashamed. But he just laughs it off. God, I love his laugh.

"Don't be sorry!" a familiar voice whispers into my ear. "Just kill him!"

"Oh mother of chocolate!" I scream in surprise. "Kirsten, what are you doing here?"

"Lily?" James asks, obviously concerned for my mental health. "Whom are you talking to?"

"James," I say in my adult voice, "_whom _isn't a word. It's just used to confuse people."

"No, it's definitely a word. _Who _is used when you're talking about the subject. _Whom _is the object," he responds intelligently. Well then.

"Hello? Remember me?" Kirsten shouts in my ear (in a very obnoxious manner).

"Kirsten!" I yelp.

"Lily, Kirsten isn't here," James tries to tell me.

"Yes she—" I start to counter, but Kirsten (or her ghost that has decided to haunt me since I'm wearing her shoes and didn't ask her if I could) cuts me off.

"Shut up! I'm not Kirsten, I'm your conscience, dummy," she retorts. I look at my shoulder and sure enough a miniature Kirsten is standing there. It's just like the movies! This is awesome!

"_You _are my conscience?" I ask in disbelief. "And why are you dressed in red? Is that a pitchfork?"

"Oh, yeah!" she exclaims in a very Kirsten-like fashion. Wow, my conscience is good. "And I'm not letting you off the hook over those shoes, missy!"

Whoa. She's good.

"Lily?" James asks again. Can he see my Kirsten-conscience too? "What is going on?" Well, that answers that question.

"Lily-billy," Kirsten addresses me, waving her pitchfork in the air, "I need to ask you a favor." Without waiting for my answer, she continues, "I want you to kill James."

I'm starting to see a theme here.

"Don't listen to her, Lily," another familiar voice says from the other side.

"Afhton? You're here too?" I inquire in astonishment. As sure as Sirius is stupid, a miniature Afhton is standing on my other shoulder. "That white dress is killer, but what's with the halo—ohhh."

This is starting to make sense. I have a little angel and devil on my shoulders trying to tell me what to do! This is so cool! If only I wasn't trying to stop myself from murdering the man that I love!

"Miss Goody Two Shoes over there doesn't know what she's talking about," Kirsten spits with disdain. "Killing James is the right thing to do."

"Yeah right!" Afhton retorts. "You love James, Lils. Why would you want to kill him?"

I turn my head towards the mini-Kirsten. "She makes a good point," I tell her.

"Well, what does she know?" Kirsten says, obviously taking a shot in the dark. "I'm your best friend! Listen to me!"

"Actually, Afhton's my best friend," I declare. Kirsten just stares back at me.

"Like I said, I'm the best friend," she repeats like I'm stupid. "I've even known you longer."

"Uh, no you haven't," Afhton points out. "I've been her best friend since first year, you idiot! You only met her this summer!"

"Yeah, but I saved her from a rock in the ocean. That counts as more!" she retaliates, almost stabbing my ear with her pitchfork. That thing is dangerous. She's going to poke someone's eye out. Most likely mine.

"She did save me," I admit, turning back to Afhton.

"Lily? Are you alright?" James asks for what seems like the billionth time.

"Oh, James! I forgot you were here!" I exclaim. I've been a little bit distracted.

"See! You don't care about him!" Kirsten yells at me. "Kill him!"

"No! Don't kill him!" Afhton shouts back.

"Kill him!"

"Don't kill him!"

"Do it!"

"No!"

"Guys!" I scream over their argument. "You're giving me a headache. And people are starting to stare."

"Honey, they aren't staring at us," Afhton says.

Crap. That means they're staring at me.

"Just do it, Lily!" Kirsten shouts exasperatedly. "There isn't enough room in the world for two awesome Potters!"

"It would be easier just to kill you," Afhton mumbles, and even in this weird situation, I can't hold in a snort of laughter.

"Ex-cah-use me?" she retorts, swinging her pitchfork again. I hope she doesn't stab my ear. I already have my ears pierced, thank you very much.

"Oh, you heard me," Afhton retaliates, moving into an I'm-going-to-kick-your-butt stance.

"You're asking for a fight," Kirsten answers, forming a pose that the Charlie's Angels would be proud of.

"Bring. It. On," she replies. And just like in the movies, the squabbling duo leaps into my ears and start wrestling inside my head. It's like a steal-cage match, except the cage is my head. And it's not very fun for the audience (aka, me).

I can hear a few girlish screams, a few grunts, and the occasional squeal from inside my head. I wish one of them could really tell me what's going on in there. I can't want to kill James.

"I'm gonna knock that halo right off your head!" Kirsten yells so loud that my ears ring.

"If you can reach it!" Afhton shouts back. "That is, after I shove that pitchfork up your—"

"Lily!" James cries from a distance that seems farther away than just from the other side of the table. "What is going on?"

I pause before answering. The catfight is still going on inside my head. I'm scared to find out who (Wait, who? Or is it whom?...???...What did James say about the object???...Oh, this is hopeless!) the winner is. "I don't know!" I say in reply.

"Hey!" Afhton shouts from inside my head. "That's illegal use of pitchfork! Who's reffing this?"

"I don't play by the rules," Kirsten laughs. "Have you seen my outfit?"

And with a disgustingly loud POW!, I lose control completely. Suddenly, the logical side of my mind disappears and only one thought remains:

_Kill James._

Oh, bugger.

Honestly, though, I'm not surprised. I kinda saw this coming.

But I've never killed someone before. How should I go about doing this? Let's make a list! Hoorah!

Option 1: the ever so popular, Avada Kedavra. But there's no fun in that. It's just one simple wand flick, and then it's over. Where's the excitement?

Option 2: strangling. But then again, you need to have some physical strength for that. James could probably take me. Then again, anyone could probably take me.

Option 3: knife 'em. That's awfully messy, though. And there are way too many witnesses for that—

And before I can think of any more options, I find myself involuntarily jumping over the table. I slam into James, sending his chair toppling backwards. With a bang, we crash into the floor. The calming music of the restaurant disappears. Instead, the sounds of plates smashing and people gasping fill the room. And I'm strangling James.

I guess I decided to go for Option 2.

While struggling against my death-grip, James gasps, "What are you doing?"

A voice that is not my own answers him, "Killing." Wow. I applaud at my own bluntness.

As I continue to strangle my boyfriend, I notice the silence of the fight going on in my head. I guess Kirsten knocked Afhton unconscious. Afhton's always been a fighter, though. That's weird.

Almost as soon as that strand of thought passes through my mind, a sickening slap rings out. I feel control trickling back in. It's very weak, but it's there.

"James!" I shout, letting go of his throat. This has to be quick; I don't know how much time I have left. "Someone-is-controlling-me-and-making-me-kill-you-but-I-don't-want-to-so-you-have-to-stop-me!"

"What?" he screams at me with a very adorable confused look on his face. But after that, my evil side takes over again.

"Kill James Potter!"

I go to try and kill him again, but he rolls out from under me. He stands up and takes off through the restaurant, trying to escape me. I stand up, brush the debris off of my awesome dress, and take off after him. I turn a few corners and spot a familiar messy black-haired head by the bar. So I tackle him.

"Kill James!" I shout, whacking him with my fists.

"Um, sorry, but I'm not James," a strange man says. I stand up immediately.

"Oh. Sorry." In seconds, I find the real James. I tackle him too.

As the struggle here continues, the hypothetical one in my head continues as well. I can tell who is winning by my attitude.

"Kill—James! Stop me!" I shout as Affie has a good shot.

"It would help if you would give me some pointers!" he bellows back. I can tell that Afhton has taken a hit when I suddenly throw a plate at James's head.

Chuck. Smash!

"How do I stop you without hurting you?" he asks, dodging plates as I chuck them at his head. I lunge at him again, and I push him over. He loses his balance, reaching towards me for stability. But he grabs my necklace. With a pop, it snaps off, broken.

"Hey! You broke my necklace!" I yell, but something weird happens. I don't want to kill him anymore!

But James doesn't seem to notice that. He jumps back up and prepares for more plate dodging.

"James! I'm back!" I announce, relief flooding my body. "I think the necklace was the source of the controlling power!"

"Thank goodness." I step forward and James pulls me into a much-needed hug. I glance down at the floor to see a shower of emeralds.

"Stupid necklace," I mutter.

"Let's go home," James suggests, sighing loudly.

"And never leave again," I add.

We take care of everything in the restaurant. We have to clean up my mess, and perform some memory charms. When we Apparate back to the beach, all I want to do is crawl into bed.

But when we arrive, a startling sight lies before me.

This is not good.

A/N: okay, I'm really sorry for making you all wait such a long time, and then throwing a cliffhanger at you. Really, I'm very sorry. But this chapter was very hard to write. And I've decided that I'm going to write for at least an hour everyday until this story is finished. Hopefully, I'll be able to update faster.

Also, the one-year anniversary of this story is on Monday. I can't believe it's been a year! Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me for all this time!

And on a slightly more random note, a new show called Chuck has started. It's hilarious, and I recommend you go and watch it.

Please try to look past your hatred for me and review. I know I'm asking for a lot, but it would make me happy. Review!!!


	25. Battle

A/N: so, plan: write-every-night-until-story-is-finished did not really work. I'm SORRY!!!! It's weird, because my biggest activity (tennis) is over, but I have less time than before. All of my free time is spent doing homework or recovering (aka: sleeping) from school. I have to dedicate myself to get this done. As Sean Covey says, a goal not written down is only a wish… I need a piece of paper… Does anyone else have to read the 7 habits of highly effective teens for school? It's torture!!! I can't stop quoting it!!!

Anyway, sorry for the wait!

Disclaimer- this delightful story is not mine in any way, shape, or form.

**Chapter 25:** Battle

_Previously: But when we arrive, a startling sight lies before me._

_This is not good._

The vibrant flashes of red, blue, gold, and green would be really beautiful if it wasn't for the fact that they are deadly curses aimed at me. The dark beach is lit up with jets of color, and shouts ring out through the air. As soon as James and I get our feet on the ground, we dive to the ground and take cover behind a log on the shore. I doubt that this log will protect us from a curse backed with any more power of a snail, but I'm not complaining. Much.

"Death Eaters," James grunts, whipping his wand from his pocket. I do the same.

I take a quick peek over our protective barrier (the log). Our backs are to the ocean, and the fight is taking place between our houses. "It looks like there's about ten of them," I say, trying to hide the panic that is growing in my chest. Death Eaters. In Carmel. Attacking us.

Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic.

I'm panicking!

"What are Death Eaters doing here?" James asks, obviously not as scared to death as I am.

"Maybe they wanted to hang out with us," I suggest, trying to lighten the atmosphere. I nervously laugh in attempt to ease the pressure building inside me. It doesn't work. It actually has the opposite effect.

"Lily—" James starts, but I start talking at the same time.

"I'm not panicking. Do you think I'm panicking? Because I'm not. Panicking, that is. No panicking here," I chatter nervously.

"Lily." That's all he says. My name. I look at him and meet his eyes. Instantly, I forget about the Death Eaters and the impending doom waiting for us on the beach. All I can think about is his love for me, and mine for him.

"Yeah?" I whisper.

"Lily, I want you to get out of here," he says, intensely serious. "You Apparate as far away from here as possible, okay? Go somewhere safe."

"But what about you?" I ask, concern and fear showing in my voice. I don't feel afraid for myself anymore. I'm scared for James.

"I'm going to stay here and fight," he declares. His voice is solid and steady. No trace of fear.

"I'm not going to leave without you," I say stubbornly.

"Lily, you have to go. Get to somewhere safe." Only now does James's voice crack with panic.

"I am not going to Apparate away and leave you here to die by yourself," I nearly shout at him. (I would any other time, but I don't want the meanies to overhear).

"Lily," he says, his voice filled with emotion, "just go."

"I am not leaving!" I respond, raising my voice. "Would you be willing to leave me if I was about to walk into my death?"

I can see that I have won this battle. Not that I am looking forward to the one coming up. "Alright," James sighs in defeat. "I would never leave you. I'm sorry."

We gaze into each other's eyes, the ocean's crashing drowning out all other sounds. I lean in and give James a quick kiss. Then a loud crash brings reality back to our minds.

We both take a deep breath. "This is it," I remark.

"There's no place I'd rather be," James replies.

I let out a little laugh. "That was really cheesy."

"I know."

A thought hits me. "Why haven't they attacked us yet? They've had plenty of time, and this log doesn't exactly offer the protection of a tank," I interject.

A feminine scream rings out in the darkness. "Mum," James whispers before jumping up and sprinting towards the houses.

"James!" I call after him, getting up and chasing him towards the fight. As soon as I stand up, jets of red and green (frighteningly, mostly green) stream towards me. I dodge them while casting shields and sending other attacks at my opponents. The darkness masks the Death Eaters, making it difficult to aim at them. I point my wand wildly, grinning as I hear one go down.

Ducking as a jet of green light passes right where my head was, I finally manage to find James in the chaos.

"Lily!" he yells as he sees me too. I distract him for a moment, unintentionally of course, as an insanely tall Death Eater aims his wand at him.

"Get down!" I shout, tackling him to the ground. As we go down, I hear a friendly voice scream, "Stupefy!" and the giant collapses. I roll over and glance up, seeing what made James run towards a deathly battle like it was a hot dog stand. There, next to my house, is what I can only assume are James's parents.

I assume they are his parents because they look awfully like James. A tall, middle-aged man (with wicked sweet reflexes) is battling two Death Eaters to my left. He is wearing an identical pair of glasses as his son, with similar messy hair. On his face is a look of mischief and thrill of action that I see many times reflected on James's.

In front of me, a short, slightly rounded woman stands, helping her son up. Her light brown hair is messy from the battle. She gazes at me, and I notice that her eyes are the exact same shade as James's: a brilliant hazel that in the light, looks green, and in darkness, looks brown.

They seem like lovely people. But I wouldn't really know.

Because I have never met them before.

Which is really odd, seeing as I'm over at their house practically every day. Now that I think about it, that's completely crazy! How could I have never met them before now? James has met my parents!

Wait. What if he doesn't want me to meet his parents? Maybe he really doesn't love me, and is too worried about hurting my feelings if he breaks up with me! Maybe he cares that I'm a Muggleborn, and that his parents are pure blood. How could he care about that?

A bright flash appears to my left. I instantly duck to the ground. James and his mother do the same.

I can't believe I'm worrying about something like this when I'm in the middle of a war!

The three of us squat behind the mango bushes. We wait for a second, crawl to the other side of the bush, and leap out into battle again. We instantly become entangled in our own battles. James is in the middle; he glances at me on his left, and his mother on his right.

"Lily," he says, panting slightly from exertion while cursing a scary looking lady-Death Eater, "this is my mother, Bella."

"I have heard so much about you, dear," Mrs. Potter states, sending me a warm smile and an attack on the giant guy I'm fighting. She looks like the kind of mother who would bake warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies on a cold winter day.

"I am very pleased to meet you," I respond, somehow remembering my manners. I bite my tongue to keep from lashing at James for not introducing me earlier (maybe, I don't know, a few _months_ ago). Instead, I concentrate my anger on fighting. It works; a Death Eater hits the ground hard after my awesome stunner.

"I'm sorry we haven't had a chance to meet yet—" she continues, glancing over her shoulder. It's hard to concentrate on the conversation while I'm trying not to die, "—but Tristan, James's father, and I are Aurors, and we're very busy this time of year."

"Oh."

Well, that was a whole lot of overreaction for no apparent reason.

That's what I'm good at!

"James, honey, I'm going to go help your father," Mrs. Potter says, moving to the other side of the beach. Suddenly, I remember my own father and mother…

"Wait!" I shout, fear bubbling in my chest. "Where are my parents? They can't be here! It's not safe! They're Muggles! They'll be killed!"

I'm starting to panic again.

As a result, a spell glances off of my shoulder, sending searing heat through my arm. I bend over in pain, fighting back tears.

I don't even see Mrs. Potter move her wand. But I do notice when the Death Eater that got me goes down. "Don't worry, dear," she says comfortingly as we have time to talk. "Tristan and I secured them in a secret (and well shielded) room in the house. You don't have to worry." She sees the concern in my eyes. "They'll be fine."

And with that, she smiles again and runs into the distance. I don't know why, but I'm feeling very relieved all of the sudden. I know that there are still Death Eaters in my backyard (well, all of the ones around us are unconscious), but it's okay. Even the pain in my shoulder goes away.

A few more villains Apparate a few yards towards the ocean. "Last one to the Death Eaters is a rotten egg!" I call to James, sprinting back into battle. James is right behind me.

I'm going so fast that I almost run smack into a younger looking Death Eater. I manage to stop myself before crashing into him. As his eyes find me, his hand reaches for his wand and flicks out in a second. I don't have the time to grab my own wand, so I do the next best thing:

I punch him in the face.

Which is kind of ironic, seeing as the last person that I punched was James. That seems like ages ago, back in the beginning of summer when I thought James was going out with Kirsten.

Ew. That was a weird time.

As the guy I just punched raises his head, recognition flashes in my brain. I know this man. Where have I seen him before? The dark, curly hair. The chocolate brown pools that form his eyes. How do I know him?

With a gasp, I remember.

"Black hat guy!" I exclaim, realization finally donning. He's the guy that Kirsten and I saw that day in the Village where we met up with Afhton. What's his name again? I can only remember him as the black hat guy.

Well, he's wearing a different black hat now, if you catch my drift.

"You're a Death Eater?" I ask, puzzled and confused.

"What's going on?" James ponders, clearly out of the loop.

The black hat guy takes a step towards us. I keep my wand hand raised. "We have had the pleasure to meet before this," I explain.

"Well," the black hat guy starts, circling slowly around us, "it was a pleasure indeed. I was extremely surprised to see the infamous Lily Evans, brightest witch at Hogwarts, all this way from England." He smiles, his teeth looking like glow-in-the-dark stickers on his face. I can't believe I almost fainted at that smile. Now, I only see evil.

I feel James tense beside me. He wants to curse the living daylights out of this guy, I can tell. We both raise our wands at the same time, but as we do, five more Death Eaters emerge from the darkness, surrounding us. Before I can react, my arms are bound to my side, and I collapse to the ground. James falls a second later beside me.

I get a mouthful of sand, and I'll probably get bruises from were the Death Eaters grab me on my arms, dragging me into the Potter's house. I can't see James, but I hear movement behind me. I soon find myself shoved onto the couch in the family room. James is forced down beside me. Our wands are taken, so there's no reason to keep us bound. It's almost surreal, being held captive in such a safe and familiar place.

The black hat guy stands in front of us, his thugs positioned at different places throughout the room. He asks, "So where is your friend, Sirius Black? I was under the impression that he was staying with you." His statement is directed at James. He just ignores him though, acting like he doesn't exist. My heart swells for him. He is so loyal to his friends, and I really love him for that.

I love it until the black hat guy points his wand at me. Without a word, excruciating pain explodes in my body. I let out a strangled yelp as the world goes black for a few seconds. I concentrate what is left of my power on not screaming again, but the pain keeps growing. It feels like all of my bones in my body are being broken. These few seconds last for an eternity.

I hear James's voice, but it seems far away. "I don't know where Sirius is. He mentioned something about a hot date tonight. He could be anywhere."

And then its over. I collapse against James, by body trembling everywhere. "Lily!" he exclaims, his voice breaking. "Are you alright? Speak to me!" He moves my head to rest on his lap. I feel his hands brush my hair out of my face.

"I'm okay," I manage to whisper, struggling to sit up. My strength is starting to return.

The black hat guy laughs menacingly. "See? That wasn't so pleasant for you. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way."

Why do all of the bad guys say this? There never is an easy way.

"What is going on here anyway?" James asks, gritting his teeth. "Why not just kill us now?"

"As much as I would like to, " the black hat guy starts, "the Dark Lord has taken an interest in you two. He has heard of your great talents skills with magic. He also knows of your loyalty to Dumbledore. The Dark Lord acknowledges you as a future threat to him. You two are very powerful, especially together. We are here to offer you the chance to save your lives by joining us. We can give you power you have never dreamed of before. All you have to do is say the word, and your lives will be spared. Join us."

"Never," James and I say at the same time. I am unable to keep the disgust from my voice.

The black hat guy laughs again. "I didn't expect anything less from the great James Potter and Lily Evans. If you responded this way, as we expected, the Dark Lord wanted to come and finish the job himself."

Well, that's just peachy. Moldy-shorts himself is coming over for a little party.

It's time to stall.

"How did you find us here?" I ask, voicing the question that was actually drifting through my head.

"I have heard rumors about powerful wizards in this area. The Dark Lord positioned me in Carmel to recruit new blood. We have been looking for you two for a while. As I said before, I was very surprised when I ran into you so harmlessly. It was a very fortunate coincidence."

Yeah, it was real fortunate. Stupid coincidences…

As I think this, a Death Eater with extremely nasty teeth walks into the room. Maybe it's a requirement for Death Eaters to have one really weird quality, particularly, severe hideousness (well, I guess the black hat guy is an exception to this. Even though he's evil, he is pretty hot). I know most of them by those weird traits: giant Death Eater, ugly woman Death Eater, and now nasty teeth Death Eater. He announces, "The Potters have been detained."

At this, James flies to his feet and sprints to the door. I call after him, and terror grips me as a curse hits him square in the back. He falls to the floor. Bad teeth Death Eater yanks James back to his feet and throws him back on the couch. I swear I see him smack James on his butt before depositing him on the sofa. No one else seems to notice, except James of course. He sends me a look that clearly says that he is as shocked as I am.

The black hat guy starts to talk to his fellow murderers, but I'm not paying attention. I stare at the bad teeth Death Eater, trying to overcome the weirdness of this. Then he winks at me, and smiles.

But this smile is different. It's almost familiar. And it's really creepy.

James turns his head to see what I'm staring at. Bad teeth Death Eater catches his gaze and wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at him.

Ew.

Then like a ton of bricks falling on my head (which I deserve for being this dumb), it hits me. How could I have been so stupid? This has been right in front of me the whole time!

I look at James and see that he hasn't noticed this at all. Honestly, he can be so thick sometimes. I get a chance to try out my telekinesis abilities, or lack thereof. When this clearly doesn't work (all I receive is a confused looking James and a head ache), I change my game plan. Looking to make sure our captures are busy—they are; Captain Death Eater sure likes the sound of his voice—I resort to making a lot of head gestures towards the bad teeth Death Eater. Soon, I see the metaphorical bricks falling on his head. Finally!

We turn our attention back to the bad teeth Death Eater, and he winks at us again. I take a deep breath. _This is it_, I think to myself.

In the next instant, bad teeth Death Eater points his wand at the black hat guy and shouts, "Expelliarmus!" His own wand, James's, and mine go flying into the air, much to the dumb Death Eater's surprise. James and I don't need invitations to spring into action. We leap up and grab our wands before the Death Eaters even know what is going on. But soon, they attack.

"Stupefy!" I scream, my wand pointed at a Death Eater blocking the door. "James! Come on!" We start racing towards the door. Before anyone else can attack us, I turn around and yell, "Bombarda!" at the Potter's lovely family room. All at once, the windows shatter, the walls collapse, and the roof crumbles and falls in chunks. The noise is deafening, but I still manage to hear myself shout, "Run!"

The bad teeth Death Eater and James do as I command. As we sprint out into the fresh night air, the man once dressed as an enemy morphs into a dear friend. "Take that, sucka's!" Kirsten taunts at the debris that was a familiar home.

James and I both pull Kirsten in a huge bear hug. She protests at first, but then says, "You didn't think I'd let you two have all the fun, did you?"

"Thanks," I mutter, smiling for the first time in what seems like days. It evaporates in the next second.

"Well, isn't this touching," a cold, sneering voice says in the distance. I turn around and stop dead in my tracks. I have come face to face with my worst nightmare.

Before a can react, Lord Voldemort raises his wand, and a flash of sizzling light streams towards my face.

A/N: another cliffhanger! I'm sorry! I'll make this quick: I'm sorry about the long wait. I'm going to start the next chapter immediately. I'm really sorry. Please review! Tell me what you think!


	26. Broken Popcorn Machine

A/N: Once again, I am very sorry for the wait, but I do have a good excuse

A/N: Okay, it has been an extremely long time, and for that, I am sorry. I have been incredibly busy, and I had to put this story on the back-burner for a while. But now I'm back! And I realize that you all will probably have to re-read the last chapter to remember what is going on… I had to, too. I'm really sorry about the wait, and I fully accept getting no reviews for this…though I will be sad. Anyway! On with the story!

Disclaimer- I do not own this masterpiece that is Harry Potter.

**Chapter 26: **Broken Popcorn Machine

_Previously: Before a can react, Lord Voldemort raises his wand, and a flash of sizzling light streams towards my face._

"Lily!" James yells, shoving me to the ground. Even though my face digs into the sand, I can feel the sizzling energy zoom right over my head. I allow myself to realize that James could have been a second too late, and my life would've been over.

Shivers erupt down my spine. It's so close to being over. Before I can react any more, James pulls me into a roll, and we get to our feet. James, Kirsten, and I form a line with our backs to my house. I try to keep my wand hand from shaking too much. I'm unsuccessful as my fear manifests.

"Well, it's Moldy-shorts in the flesh," Kirsten says, trying to hide a nervous glance at the Death Eaters surrounding us. "I'm sorry, but we're in no way fit to entertain today. Perhaps you could come by another time? We'll have a tea party!"

He laughs, his red eyes sparkling like rubies. "Sorry," Voldemort sneers, "but I don't think you'll be free anytime in the future. Being dead really puts an end to one's social calendar."

I instinctively shy closer to James as the other eight-or-so Death Eaters close in around us. I sneak a glace at his face, but he's staring straight at our enemy with no trace of fear in his eyes. That gives me courage. I square my shoulders and look ahead, too.

In response to Voldy's comment, Kirsten spits towards him. Without a word, Voldemort grins evilly, and she is sent crashing into my house. I shout for her, but battle explodes around me and my voice is lost. Colorful flashes dance around me again. I try to run to her dark, motionless form, but I have to defend myself. Three Death Eaters come at me, wands raised.

I am really sick of these guys.

A loud pop startles me. I groan in despair, thinking that more enemies have arrived. I turn my head and jump when I see James's dad fending off my attackers. "Stupefy!" I scream, getting back in the action. Mr. Potter winks at me.

We eventually beat all of our Death Eaters, but more are arriving by the second. I take advantage in a lag in their attack by sprinting to where Kirsten fell. I dive to her side and shake her frantically.

"Kirsten! Come on! Get up!" My breath comes out in wild spurts as panic bubbles in my chest. She doesn't move at all. It's too dark for me to tell if she's breathing. "Kirsten!" I shout, my voice breaking, tears starting to leak out. "Come on! Don't leave me!"

Her eyes flicker open. "Don't be such a cry baby," she scoffs softly, sitting up. "Now, where's the son of a bitch who did this to me?"

Without another word, she goes running back into battle. I have no choice but to follow her, struggling to banish the thoughts of my loved ones getting hurt. I wouldn't survive if this is my last night with the Potters.

I race to defend my friends from the ever mounting attacks. Stuck in my morbid thoughts, I trip over an unconscious Death Eater. I log roll to the right to avoid a red ball of energy sent after me. James sees me on the ground and runs to help me.

As he reaches me, I see blood coming from a cut on his forehead. My heart stops. "James! You're bleeding! Are you okay?" I screech, unable to contain myself.

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine," he assures me, yanking me to my feet and dodging a curse. "Cover me for a sec," he commands. As soon as he says this, two more Death Eaters come at me.

As my heart starts pounding, I send counter-attacks and notice that James takes a small mirror out of his pocket. This is hardly the time to fix his hair! Why are boys always bonkers about their bloody hair?

But then he starts talking to the mirror, and I feel really stupid. "Padfoot!" he yells into the reflection. "Get help! Voldemort and his clan of fairy princesses are attacking us! Get Dumbledore! Hurry!"

"Uh, James?" I call desperately as four more "fairy princesses" come towards me.

"Just a second," he replies, battling a few Death Eaters himself.

"James?" I say louder as they start sending curses at me. They're coming from all sides.

I can only hear the sound of battle behind me. The Death Eaters have me cornered now. There are too many!

"JAMES!" I yelp as electric zaps start to trickle from their wands.

"Levicorpus!" James yells, and suddenly my feet aren't on the ground. I look down to see the Death Eaters' curses zoom past where I was, hitting the Death Eaters on the opposite sides.

As the same time, James gets knocked forward, sending me flying when his concentration breaks. I crash land on my face, earning a mouthful of sand. Standing up and brushing myself off, I notice a pair of red eyes about 50 feet in front of me. I'm out in the open with nothing blocking me from a terrible fate.

An evil and exultant grin flashes on Voldemort's face. I don't have to be a mind reader to know that pain is coming.

As he raises his wand in an excruciatingly slow motion, drawing out my horror like a true villain, I see something streak towards me in my peripheral vision. Voldemort takes his time with the curse, truly enjoying this moment. He's such a wanker. As he finally mutters, "Crucio," just loud enough for me to hear, James dives in front of me. A second later, he's writhing in pain on the ground. He squeezes his eyes shut in a struggle to stay focused.

It hits me deep in the gut. Not a curse or anything. It's knowing what James is going through. Seeing him in so much pain makes me physically hurt.

"James," I say kneeling down, "hold on. It will be over soon."

I stand up and feel anger pulsing through my veins. I have never felt this mad in my entire life. I whip my head up to see Voldemort laughing cruelly at James's chivalry.

"You really should not have done that," I hiss. He doesn't even pay attention to me. I take advantage of that.

I run towards my mortal enemy, faster than I've ever gone before. It reminds me of flying… But as I run, I throw every attack I know at Voldemort, putting as much force as I have behind them. He stumbles back as he takes each one in the chest, completely caught off guard. As I run, I scream as loud as I can, increasing the power coming from my wand. I stop right in front of him, and without hesitation, I punch him square in the face.

That's right. I punched Voldemort in the face. How many people can say that?

"Don't. Ever. Curse. My. Boyfriend. Again," I spit out each word acidly. I can hear Kirsten whooping in the background. I have found that I like my new attack. I've gotten quite good at punching people.

I don't get much time to enjoy my moment of glory, though. Voldemort's minions notice him on the ground and come to help. I turn and race back towards James, only to find him running to me.

I take his face in my hands.

"Are you okay?" We both say at the same time. I notice his hands are shaking.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." He smiles, and even in this situation, my heart melts. I'm a sucker for his smile.

"Hey, love birds!" Kirsten calls, skipping towards us, cursing the Death Eaters who are aiming at us. As she reaches us, we form a line again, facing Voldemort. The ground is littered with dark mounds, all that is visible of the unconscious Death Eaters. Serves 'em right, too!

More Death Eaters keep coming, despite our awesome attempts to stop them. It's like a broken popcorn machine just spitting out more and more popcorn, though nobody wants it. Bullocks, it sure is annoying.

As the three of us continue to fight, fatigue starting to set in, I'm struck with a thought. I haven't seen James's parents in a while, and most of the Death Eaters are fighting us. With a gasp, I see why that is.

James's father, unconscious and unmoving, floats towards us, being levitated by a Death Eater. He has a wound on his head, and blood, crimson and sparkling, spills from it. Mrs. Potter is being dragged by her hair, right behind her husband. She struggles and fights, but a Death Eater has his wand at her throat.

James explodes from my side. That's the only way I can explain it. One second he is standing beside me. The next, he is racing towards his parents, fire blazing behind his eyes. As he reaches the Death Eaters holding his parents captive, they smile. Almost immediately, I see Mrs. Potter drop to the ground in pain.

"Make one more move and she dies," the Death Eater murmurs, revealing a set of brown teeth.

James stops in his tracks. Of course he does. He's far too noble for his own good.

"If you surrender," the Death Eater starts, "the pain stops now. I'll even let your mother live. If you keep fighting, you'll all die slowly and painfully. I guarantee it."

I wonder how long it took this guy to memorize his little speech. Honestly, it sounds like something out of a mafia movie. And this Death Eater tries to put dramatic pauses behind every word. Really. They don't have anything better to do?

As he says this, though, I slowly work my way around behind the Death Eaters. Everyone seems to be focused on James and Brown Teeth. I suck in a breath when I see Kirsten, a ways behind me, fall to the ground as a curse catches her back. A lady Death Eater drags her to Brown Teeth, finally shoving her next to Mrs. Potter.

"You slimy—" Kirsten spits every conceivable swear word I know, throwing in a few that I've never even heard before. My ears ring as I make my way around the beach.

"You're stuck now," Brown Teeth sneers. "Surrender now or your loved ones die."

James deliberates, just as I knew he would. I can tell that he knows that we'll probably die anyway, whether he gives in or not. As he thinks, Brown Teeth talks. Again.

"In speaking of loved ones, where's your fiery red head? Has she left you already?" He laughs.

"I'm sure she's around here somewhere," James remarks, smiling in spite of himself.

"If she was as smart as I've heard, she would be long gone by now." He snickers even louder this time.

"Not a chance." I smile at the surprised looks on their faces as they turn to face me. Before a get I good look, however, I curse the Death Eaters holding Kirsten and Mrs. Potter. They spring into action with me, but we're still out numbered. I take on three, including Brown Teeth, Kirsten battles two, and James has four. Mrs. Potter races to rescue her husband.

I have completely lost track of time. It could be three in the morning, for all I know. It feels like I've been fighting forever. As I start to tire, I make more mistakes, reacting a second later than needed. As a result, curses clip me more often. And boy can I start to feel it. I feel worse than that time when Afhton and I tried to out-eat Sirius. We lasted a while out of sheer willpower. He beat us, naturally. The next day, though, neither of us could function. We were in intense physical pain. I actually wrote a will and owled it to my parents. I didn't die, but I scared _them_ to death. Needless to say, I learned my lesson.

Now, though, all I want to do is close my eyes and wake up. This seems like a never-ending nightmare. Every second, I could face my own death, or worse, the death of my friends.

I fight off Death Eater after Death Eater, each time growing more and more exhausted. I don't even know where Voldemort went, but I hear him command, "Search in the house for the Muggles."

"No!" I scream, sprinting back to my house. In my haste, I don't even see the leg come out and kick me right in the chest. I feel it, though. Breathing becomes impossible. I lie gasping on the sand. Each movement sends a stabbing pain in my side.

James, of course, sprints to my side. I watch in mute horror as a curse hits him square in the back. He crash lands right next to me. We lie next to each other in pain.

"Hey there, beautiful," he mutters, breathing heavy.

"Hi," I whisper, meeting his eyes. Our hands meet and entwine as several Death Eaters tower over us. "I guess this is it."

He smiles bleakly and squeezes my hand.

A loud commotion erupts on the other side of the beach. Loud pops fill the air, followed by shouts and ruckus. It almost sounds like an American Fourth of July celebration. The Death Eaters around us are distracted, and one by one, they hit the ground.

James and I help each other up into a sitting position. Then I hear a familiar laugh.

"Need some help, Prongsie?"

I have never been happier to hear Sirius Black's voice in my life. That fact is odd and slightly scary. I'm never happy to see Sirius.

His head pops into my view, and he takes in the sight of James and me on the ground. "Fooling around with your lady, are you? And at a time like this!" He pretends to be ashamed. I can imagine that he's fooled around at weirder situations.

He doesn't wait for a comment. Helping us to our feet, I see the reason for all the commotion.

"I couldn't let you guys have all the fun," Sirius explains. "I invited some Aurors to the party. I hope you don't mind. They agreed to bring the keg." He laughs.

"Black!" Kirsten yells, running over to join us. "What are you doing here? We had everything under control!" She punches him on the shoulder, seeming to be really angry. Then she stuns us all by pulling Sirius into a bone crushing hug.

"Thanks for coming," she mumbles in his hair. Sirius wears a slightly surprised look on his face.

A lady in what appears to be her mid-thirties runs towards us. An Auror, I assume. "You four, stay here. We have everything under control. Don't do anything stupid."

She runs away to join the battle without another word. Then I see why they say everything is under control. I spot a blur of gray and white moving swiftly among the Death Eaters, reeking havoc.

"You brought Dumbledore?" I ask Sirius, overcome with relief.

"Hell yeah! Do you know how hard it is to track down a Hogwarts Headmaster during the summer?" he asks, faking a fruity-serious tone. "I'll tell you about it lat—" He stops and stars at the battle. James, Kirsten, and I turn our gazes.

Dumbledore and Voldemort are locked into a heated duel. I freeze as I watch the two most powerful wizards in the world fight each other. Not a word is spoken between them, but energy is flowing at an alarming rate.

Voldemort throws a lightning bolt at Dumbledore, who reflects it back with a flick of his wand. I can't imagine turning aside something as powerful as that without a sweat. The Dark Lord then levitates shards of wood from the remains of the Potter's house. He propels them towards Dumbledore at the speed of bullets. My headmaster throws up his arms, creating a shield that turns the wood into dust. As he does that, Voldemort releases a huge amount of energy that sends everyone within the battle flying backwards.

Nobody moves.

"Oh, bullocks," I mutter, standing up and running back into the war zone. My friends are right behind me.

It's kinda surreal, running at full speed towards Voldemort. Other than before, of course. Then all I knew was that I wanted to hurt him for hurting James. Now, that anger has dissipated in my exhaustion.

Every other Death Eater or Auror is on the ground, struggling to get up, including Dumbledore. James and Sirius run to be in front of Kirsten and me, trying to protect us like the idiots they are.

"We don't need protecting," I grunt, but before I can do anything, Voldemort sends them flying to the side instantly. Kirsten and I force ourselves to keep going.

"We're gonna be okay," I tell myself, reaching the human form of pure evil.

Before I can even say a curse, my wand flies out of my hand. Kirsten's does, too. With no distractions this time, my enemy easily takes me. Anger at my helplessness bubbles in my chest.

"I'm going to enjoy this," Voldemort says through his grin. All around me, I see Aurors and Death Eaters strewn across the sand. I try to find James, to see his face one last time, but all of the mounds look the same. I think I see someone start to get up, but I'm slightly distracted.

The Dark Lord says, loud and clear, two words that send shivers down my spine. "Avada Kedavra."

As the bright green light streams towards me, I grab Kirsten's hand. Before I can blink, I'm thrown backwards, the world turning black.

A/N: Well, what is going to happen?? sigh I can't believe it's been this long. Writing this chapter was really hard, and I hope it's not too bad. I would really appreciate reviews, if anyone still remembers this story. Thanks, and sorry again.


	27. True Love's Kiss

A/N: Okay, I know it's been a ridiculous amount of time since I've posted, but honestly, this story isn't a top priority anymore. This sounds terrible, but I really don't have the time right now. I'm in two AP classes, I have SATs next month (which I haven't studied for), musical is starting, and my life really sucks right now. I'm trying to crank out the rest of the story over Christmas break, and if anyone still reads this, thanks for the loyalty.

Disclaimer- I own this as much as I hate to see the Steelers totally CRUSH the Browns. I actually love to see the Steelers crush the Browns, so I guess I don't own this.

**Chapter 27: **True Love's Kiss

_Previously: The Dark Lord says, loud and clear, two words that send shivers down my spine. "Avada Kedavra."_

_As the bright green light streams towards me, I grab Kirsten's hand. Before I can blink, I'm thrown backwards, the world turning black._

I feel like I'm underwater, with the great weight of the ocean crushing down on me. I thrash around wildly, trying to find the surface, but I only encounter darkness. I'm spinning out of control, and I can't remember my way out.

Bright flashes of red and green dance before my vision, as if from a memory. They're the only traces of color in this dark abyss. Each one sends a terrible panic and pain straight into my chest. I can't bring to mind why, though. A feeling of urgency darts in and out of my mind, between the beatings of my body in the water.

I need to see if they are all right. But I can't remember who they are, or what was happening to them.

I blindly try to recall the memories that seem to be locked away with the end to this ocean. Which is a major bummer because I can't find a way out. Wave upon wave crashes down on me. Pressure fills inside my chest. My heartbeat pounds inside my ears.

A sudden touch on my hand startles me. I look down on it like an alien object, but I can't see anything. I don't feel anybody near me, either.

It happens again, but this time, I feel the warmth that belongs with the touch. I'm instantly thrown back into a vague and fuzzy memory. The laugh of friends. The smile of a love. Love. Love, love love. Mum. Dad. Afhton. Sirius (it's a stretch, but it's there). Kirsten. James.

James.

A stunning clarity fills the dark ocean. Light shines in. The water becomes as clear and bright as a swimming pool at noon. The color blue is the exact shade of my mother's favorite coffee mug that I've seen caressed in her hands a million times before. And the color of Sirius's underwear, which he so prominently displays constantly.

I come to a halt. The sudden stillness is strange. Through the new bright water, I can see the way out. I force my limbs to swim towards it, even though they ache desperately. I break through the surface and gulp in fresh air…

I wearily open my eyes, even though it feels as if each one has a 100-pound weight attached to it. My sight shifts in and out of focus, blinded by a ridiculously bright light. I hesitantly try to straighten out my body to inspect the damage, but nothing happens. I try to move my arm, but it doesn't budge from my side.

Oh my chocolate! I'm paralyzed!!!

I won't be able to walk anymore! Or run, or kick Sirius in the butt, or frolic around Hogwarts like a little kid! (like I did much time frolicking anyway)

But wait! I do get a wheelchair. Those are pretty entertaining. Oh! I bet Dumbledore would do a permanent levitation charm on it! That would be awesome! Or I could have rockets attached to it!

This may have some perks after all.

Just as I start to design my decked out wheel chair, something hits me hard against my leg. It hurts!

Oh wait… if it hurts, that means I'm not paralyzed.

I'm not paralyzed!

Crises averted. Though my wheelchair sounded pretty darn cool.

I close my eyes for a second and open them again. This time, I can make out fuzzy shapes around me. I see a large white room. A hard looking chair stands in the corner with a large mass in it. There is a nightstand on my left with a vase of yellow calla lilies in it: my favorite flower. As my vision clears, another bed appears on the other side of the nightstand with a large lump under the covers. A loud, annoying beeping sound pulses through my haze, matching my heartbeat. My bed is hard, but the covers are soft around me. And warm.

I turn my head to the right, cautious as an ache fills my body. I almost fall off of the bed in surprise when I don't see the other side of the room. My sight is consumed by a large tan forehead with a mop of black hair on top. Closed eyes, a bandage just above one. A strong nose with glasses perched on them. Soft mouth set into a hard line of worry.

James.

I try to turn my body towards him, but his arm wound around me stops the action. I suddenly understand my worry of about being paralyzed. I couldn't move because he was—is—holding me so tight.

I wonder how my parents would allow that. Hmm… they're normally all about the "holding hands ONLY" rule.

I slowly shift by body, careful of the pains, to face him. He feels me move from under his arm, and his eyes flutter open.

"Hi," I whisper, my voice barely audible. He looks at me as if he's dreaming—only wishing that I'm awake. I find my hand and, ignoring the pain in my arm, slowly bring it to rest on his face. That does it.

"Lily."

That's it. Just my name. And I practically melt. I'm such a sap.

"Where am I?" I wonder, looking around. I didn't know there were any wizard hospitals in Carmel.

"St. Mungo's. The attack caused a lot of damage." He pauses. "I thought that you were taken from me forever," James says, his voice only slightly louder than mine, but so filled with emotion that my eyes start to water. Yep, I'm the sappiest of the sappy.

"I'm not going anywhere without you." (Repeat the former comment about my state of sap). He pulls me into an embrace (that honestly kinda hurts, but I'm not complaining), then releases me so fast that he springs from the bed.

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you? Tell me what's wrong. I'll call a Healer," he stammers, spinning around in a circle. Aw, he's so cute when he's worried.

"James," I start, but he's still spinning and sputtering. "James. James!" He stops. "I'm fine," I begin, but realize that's not 100-percent true. "Well, I am kinda sore everywhere. It's like all of my joints have been popped out and then back in. It's not terrible, though. You leaving isn't making me feel any better," I hint, making room on the bed again. He pulls up a chair to the side instead, taking both hands in mine.

I slide closer to him. "Are you alright?" I wonder, noticing a splint on one of his arms.

He reaches and strokes my cheek. "Don't worry about me. I'm perfectly fine. For once, just concentrate on yourself and getting better." He smiles.

"What happened?" I ask.

His smile vanishes. "What do you remember?" he counters.

My mind wanders. I can only remember glimpses. The restaurant. Wanting to kill James (that was odd). The beach. Death Eaters. Curses flying. Kirsten. Sirius. Dumbledore. A flash of green light… then darkness.

"Wait. If Voldemort Avada-ed me, how am I still alive? I don't get it. I should be dead."

"Don't say that," James states, his voice hard as a rock.

"But I should be. It's called the Killing Curse for a reason," I state forcefully. "What happened?" Though I'm not complaining for being alive. In fact, right now, I pretty much couldn't be happier.

"Well, no one's exactly sure on what happened. Exactly," James begins to explain. "Dumbledore has a theory, though."

"His theories are usually correct," I mutter to myself.

"He thinks that—no. Let me start over," he corrects. "Do you remember who you were standing next to when…when…it happened?"

Though my mind rebels against me, I bring my last true memory of that night back to the surface. "Kirsten was with me. We were holding hands."

"That's what Dumbledore thought." I still don't understand how that is significant. "You two weren't just linked physically. Dumbledore thinks that you developed a strong connection over the summer that also linked your emotions and minds."

"That's kind of insulting," I mumble. "I'm emotionally linked with a crazy person." That makes him crack a weary smile.

"Anyway," James inserts, faking anger at my interruption, "he thinks that the curse was shared through your bodies. Instead of killing one person, it only half-killed both of you. If that makes sense." He looks skeptical and frowns.

"No, it makes sense. It's just a bit of a stretch, though," I say, trying to believe such a theory.

"I know," states James. "But it's the only explanation we've got. And I'm not complaining. I don't care what happened exactly. You're fine now, and that's all that really matters." He leans down and kisses my hands. Aw, James is a sap, too. Maybe someday we could have sap-tastic little children together!

"I don't feel like I'm half-dead, though," I recount. "I just feel sore everywhere. How long have I been asleep?" I wonder. It doesn't feel that long.

"It's been a week," James says gravely, and I gasp in shock. "No one knew if you were going to wake up." Now I can fully understand James's reactions.

"You know how I love to sleep," I attempt to joke. He smiles weakly. "At least something cool did come out of this," I say.

"What?"

"Kirsten and I are the only two people to ever survive the Killing Curse," I declare proudly.

"Well, we hope," he sighs. He's got that look in his eyes again. Like he's stuck in a terrible nightmare. Those eyes shift to gaze behind me, and I turn my head.

The mound in the bed beside me is Kirsten. Her eyes are closed, and she's as still as a corpse. Her long dark hair, sprawled out on the white pillow, has lost its shine. Her face is as pale as the sheets. The only sign of life is the gentle rise and fall of her chest, and a beeping that reports the beating of her heart.

"No one knows if she will wake up, either," James says, grief dripping in his voice.

I know this is terrible, but part of me expects her to leap out of the bed screaming, "Gotcha, you silly pansy!!!" Then she would proceed to do a happy dance around the room, laughing ridiculously.

Naturally, that doesn't happen.

"It's so eerie," I whisper, not looking away. "I've never seen her so still before."

"I know," agrees James. "And Sirius has never been so quiet." My gaze shifts to the small chair that said boy engulfs. "He's barely said anything or left that chair for days."

Almost as if on cue, Sirius turns over in his sleep, mumbling to himself. I can make out the words: stupid, Death Eaters, and wankers.

I myself turn to lie on my back, wincing as my body's pains start to wake up. James hovers above me, frantic.

"Blimey, would you calm down?" I laugh, and he reluctantly sits down again. But his worry reminds me of my parents, and the fact that I haven't seen them yet…

"Where are my parents?" I practically yell as I sit up. "Where are _your_ parents? Are they all right? Why aren't they here? Oh my chocolate, they're gone, aren't they!" I wail, tears creeping in my eyes, threatening to overflow.

"Shhh," James coos, caressing my face gently in his hands. "Everyone is fine. Your parents were so tightly locked away during the battle that they didn't even hear a peep. My parents were banged up, but nothing that they've never dealt with before. It comes with their job. A team of Ministry people have cleaned up the beach so it's better than new. My folks convinced your parents to go home for some rest; they've barely slept this whole week. I expect they'll be back shortly."

"What about your parents?" I ask, my worries vanishing.

"They went to get some coffee about two minutes before you woke up." He smiles. "You have perfect timing. Did you plan to wake up when we were alone?" His playful tone almost makes me forget the bed next to me, and the person in it.

Almost.

"You know me. I can't resist you." I lean towards him, and he kisses me softly, tenderly.

"I should've kicked everyone out sooner," he teases, grinning again.

"It was you that brought me back," I explain. "I felt your hand, and it made me remember."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

I see a spark start to kindle in his eyes. He has an idea. "What?" I ask.

"I wonder," he replies, but it seems he's talking to himself. He strides across the room and sits on the edge of Kirsten's bed. I watch in confusion at his plan. He slowly and deliberately takes her hand in his, stroking it gently.

"Come on, wake up," he chants so silently that I barely hear. "Please wake up."

Nothing happens except more beeping.

"I already tried that, mate," Sirius says wearily, suddenly emerging from his chair.

"I figured as much," responds James. "Couldn't hurt to try again, though."

Sirius looks my way, and almost smiles.

Almost.

"It's good to see you awake," he says earnestly. It's strange seeing Sirius be so… well, serious.

"Thanks," I reply, trying to make my voice sound as sincere as I am. Total sincerity is hard, though, when your best friend might not wake up.

"James, dear, we brought you back a cup of tea," a familiar maternal voice says while entering the blaringly white room. James's mother is followed by his father, who is munching on a delicious-looking roll.

They cross the room to their son, handing him the Styrofoam cup. It seems that neither of them notice that I'm awake. Huh, they're awfully unobservant for a couple of Aurors.

"Lily!" Mr. Potter exclaims, finally looking my way. I wave at him.

"Oh my, you're wake!" says Mrs. Potter in delight. She then turns upon her son. "Why haven't you called in a Healer to examine her yet? I taught you better than that!"

James's face flushes and he looks down, ashamed. "Sorry, mum," he mumbles to the floor. Aw, he's so cute when he's embarrassed. Actually, I don't think I've seen an emotion that doesn't look absolutely adorable on him. I am a little biased, though.

The Potters both leave to fetch a Healer, Sirius moves back to his chair, and James sits on the edge of my bed. Within a few seconds, a short woman with a fluff of golden hair walks into the room with a clipboard in hand.

"Lily, it's good to see you awake," she says, smiling. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," I reply.

"If you don't mind, it's best if I get as detailed a description of your feelings as possible. Nothing like this has ever happened before. We'd like to find out as much as possible. For research," she adds. Her brown eyes pear down on me curiously, but in a friendly way.

"Oh." I steal a glance at James, not wanting to divulge every detail of my "almost dying" episode. James has a tendency to overreact. Especially when I'm concerned.

I recount everything I remember. I tell of every ache and pain. It takes quite some time, and while I'm talking, my parents return. As expected, they completely freak out—they hug and kiss me for a good twenty minutes, forcing James to stand in the corner by Sirius and his chair. After all of my talking, hugging, and reassuring, I find myself so exhausted that I fall asleep mid-sentence.

**OoOoO**

I wake up feeling like I slept for ages. My joints are stiff as I gently stretch them out. They barely even ache anymore. Wizard health care has always amazed me (hence my future career of choice).

"How are you feeling, honey?" my mum asks after I open my eyes. I lean forward, and the puts a pillow under me, propping me up.

"Much better," I reply honestly.

"That's great," she smiles, relieved. "You slept for a long time. Sixteen hours, actually. That's good, though. Your body is healing."

I look around the room. My dad is conked out in the chair beside my bed. James occupies Sirius's former seat, since he is perched on Kirsten's bed.

"How is she?" I ask James, who hasn't taken his eyes off of me since I woke up.

"No change," is his solemn response.

"Lily," my mum starts, "do you mind if I go and get some food? I wanted to wait until you woke up, but I'm starving!" Mum does love food.

"Sure," I reply. "Bring me back something good."

She smiles, gently wakes up my father, and they silently leave the room. James immediately takes her place by my side. He leans in and gives me a sweet kiss right on the lips. I normally would respond enthusiastically, but—

"Morning breath," I tell him, pulling away. I don't think I've brushed my teeth for a week! Ugh!

"I don't care," he says, pecking me again.

"That's it!" Sirius exclaims from across the room. "Nothing is more powerful than a true love's kiss!"

"Um, what?" James asks, clearly as confused as I am.

"I saw it in a movie! The girl is sleeping and won't wake up, so the handsome prince—"

"I hope you don't mean yourself."

"Shut it, Prongs. So the handsome prince gives her a true love's kiss, and she wakes up!" He is clearly very excited about this plan.

"Uh, Sirius," I start, "there is just one problem: you and Kirsten aren't in love."

"Yeah, that might put a damper on the 'true love' part," James laughs.

"I know. I'm not in love with her," he corrects, "but I do love her. Like a sister." He stops and rethinks that sentence. "Well, almost."

He starts to lean forward towards the sleeping girl in question.

"I'm not sure this is a good idea," I say. I've known Kirsten long enough to know that she would never, ever, under any circumstances, want "Black's" lips touching hers. Never, EVER. So I try to be a good friend and stop this.

"Sirius, stop, seriously," I command, trying to sound authoritative. It apparently doesn't.

Their lips connect.

SMACK! (What other sound effect is good for a kiss??? Oh, I know…)

SMOOCH! (Much better)

To everyone's amazement, Kirsten's eyelids start to flicker.

"It's working!" Sirius shouts excitedly.

She opens her eyes cautiously, see's Sirius's face inches from her, and says quietly, but as intense if she shouted it: "What the _hell_ was that?"

I start laughing, then instantly realize that I'm crying, too. James kisses me again in elation, and Sirius couldn't be more proud of himself.

Until, "Black!" Kirsten yells, obviously finding her voice, "get off me, or I swear I will curse you into the next galaxy!"

As he leaps off her bed, several Healers come flying into the room, having heard all of the ruckus. They start examining and interrogating her. Apparently, Kirsten was trapped in a dark ocean, just like I was. The Healers think that only a strong and profound emotion was able to pull us out of it. For me, my love for James and my family (friends included) saved me. For Kirsten, it was her deep annoyance for the antics of Sirius Black that saved her life.

**OoOoO**

Kirsten and I are required to stay at St. Mungo's for a few more days. It's not a problem, now that I know by best friend isn't going to die. We push our beds together and play cards all day. James is constantly with me, and Sirius is extremely proud of himself for actually doing something right. Or wrong, if you think about it.

Soon, the last day of summer arrives. I'm sad to see it go, but I do miss my real home: Hogwarts. I'm not looking forward to the stress of school, though.

The morning on that last day, Mr. Potter, who insists that I call him Tristan, strides into the room with a handful of envelopes.

"Dumbledore just dropped these off for you," he says, tossing each Hogwarts letter the their respective student. "He also says that he's picked up your books, and they are waiting for you in your dorm rooms."

"Thank you," we all shout as he leaves the room. As soon as he's gone, I tear open my letter and scan it impatiently. I soon find what I'm after.

_You have had the honor of being chosen as Head Girl for this year._

As I read this sentence, a tiny pin falls into my lap. "YES!!" I exclaim. I've always wanted to be Head Girl. And now I am! Nothing could be better!

"Congratulations, Lilypop," James says, kissing my cheek. He doesn't even have to ask. "I'm so happy for you! Although, the only one who actually doubted that you would get it was yourself."

I can't stop smiling!

James quickly reads his letter as well, probably looking for which classes he'll sleep through this year. He gasps, and a pin falls into his lap, too.

"No way," I say, astonished. I was wrong—this could get better.

"Guess what, mates," James announces, "I am the new Head Boy!"

My face feels like it's going to split in two—from all the smiling I'm doing—but Kirsten and Sirius look shocked. Their jaws drop to the floor.

"Why would anyone put you in charge of anything?" Sirius asks, dumbfounded.

"It must be because of my stellar awesomeness," he replies smugly. "And my handsomeness, and my intelligent-ness, and—"

"No," I counter, interrupting him, "I bet it's your superior modesty. Every Head must be modest." Sarcasm oozes in my voice, and Kirsten laughs.

"Puh-lease," James says in a perfect imitation of Kirsten, making said girl scowl, "Modesty is my middle name."

Sirius starts laughing uncontrollably, then shouts, "No it's not! It's Marion!"

A/N: So I'm sorry if this chapter isn't as funny as the others, but it's not supposed to be. It's hard to make "waking up at a hospital and your best friend by die" funny. It would seem too fake. I did try to insert some humor, especially at the end. So if anyone still remembers this story, I would love some reviews. Just one more chapter left!


	28. The Prank

A/N: I can't believe it, guys! The last chapter! I think I'm gonna cry! (seriously, this is really depressing) After reading all of your awesome reviews, I realize that I have the best reviewers in the world (I know what you're thinking: it took you this long to figure that out?!?!). But after I rambled about my school issues, a bunch of you wished me good luck. I didn't even realize people actually read this! But now I know ya do, I would like to say: THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!! (times infinity squared)

Disclaimer- This is the last time that I have to say that I don't own this story… **sob**

**Chapter 28**: The Prank

"Kirsten!" I shout, trudging my way through King's Cross Station. "We're going to miss the train!" I turn around and see her standing still, pouting, and looking utterly miserable.

"I'm nervous!" she wails, dropping her trunk onto a stranger's foot by accident. He yelps, gives Kirsten a death stare, and stomps away. But this is, after all, her first day at Hogwarts after six years at Beauxbatons. I guess I would be nervous, too. Maybe. A little.

Probably not.

I make my way over to her, and I try to help her with her trunk. I say "try" because I myself am loaded with my own trunk, my broomstick, and James's owl, Peaches.

Now, why isn't James carrying his own owl, you ask?

I asked that same question this morning.

"Because I have to carry my trunk, which is twice the size of yours, _and _my broomstick," he replied. "My hands are full."

Another good question: why is James's trunk twice the size of mine? I'm a girl! You'd think I'd have more clothes.

Apparently not.

And, I have my own broomstick to carry, making my hands full, too. But that doesn't matter. He wouldn't stop whining until I agreed. So I did.

Boys.

"Kirsten," I start, shifting Peaches to my other hand so I can put my free one on her shoulder, "you are going to be fine!" That doesn't decrease the pouting. "You already know me and James and Sirius and Remus and Peter!"

"I know," she sighs, "but what if the big kids make fun of me?"

"Kirsten, we're Seventh Years. We are the big kids!"

"But… but… I'm nervous!" she cries again. This is ridiculous.

I look at my watch. The train is going to leave in ten minutes, and we're nowhere near Platform 9¾.

"If I agree to do the prank, would that make you feel better?" I ask.

Her eyes light up with the familiar glint of mischievousness.

Let me explain. Last night, or this morning I should say, at around 3:00 am, Kirsten had us all up because of her worries. We sat around her in our St. Mungo's room, and she wouldn't shut up. Sirius almost socked her on the same face that he kissed a few days ago.

Anyway, she then came up with a really good prank to pull on the train. Of course, the boys were really excited, but I didn't want my first act as Head Girl to be a prank. So I said no.

Now, if it will make Kirsten feel better, I'll do it. I don't want my first act as Head Girl to be missing the train, either.

"Really?" she ponders.

"Sure," I reply. Part of me is really excited for this, now that I think about it. I tried (and failed) to be responsible. Well, at least I tried!

"Let's go!" Kirsten yells, suddenly extremely interested to board the Hogwarts Express. As she pushes her way through the crowd, I spot a familiar mop of dark hair.

"Hey, James!" I call, racing a few meters ahead where James and Sirius are. I make my way to his side and say mysteriously, "The prank is on."

His eyes light up, and he almost runs into a little old lady who stopped suddenly in front of him.

"You know what to do?" I ask.

"Oh, I know what to do," he responds, a huge grin on his face. He then looks around. "We can't be seen together yet. Time to separate."

And with that, the two boys veer off and are lost in the blur of people.

Kirsten finds me, and she takes Peaches' cage out of my hands. "You can't be seen with this," she explains. Together, we make our way to the platform and the magical red brick wall. I tell her what to do.

"You're joking, right?" she inquires, very loudly. "I'm not that stupid, ya know!"

"No, I'm serious," I counter, laughing. "You're really supposed to run through the wall!"

"You just want to see me hit the wall like an idiot!" she accuses.

I sigh. That does sound like something I would do. "Here, I'll go first. Watch me."

I take a deep breath. I've never liked running full speed at a stationary object. I quickly check to make sure the Muggles aren't paying attention. And then I'm hurtling towards red bricks, closing my eyes, and…

A cool breeze hits my face. My eyes open to find the familiar Hogwarts Express standing tall and proud in front of me. Student and parents swarm around, saying their goodbyes. Kirsten appears by my side in a few seconds.

"Wow," she exclaims at the sight.

"I told ya so," I taunt, smiling. I'm so glad that we get to spend the whole school year together!

I turn my head to the left, and I see a familiar face standing in the crowd.

"Afhton!" I scream as she shouts:

"Lily!"

We shuffle towards each other, then throw our arms around one another.

"I've missed you SO MUCH!" we both yell at the same time.

"Me, too!" we both reply. We then proceed to burst into fits of giggles for no apparent reason. I've missed by best friend.

Kirsten makes her way towards us and stands gloomily behind me.

"Kirsten!" Afhton exclaims, pulling her into a hug as well.

She remains still. "You remember me?" she asks incredulously.

"Um, yeah! Of course!" Af laughs. She's like that. Extremely friendly and considerate.

"Still nervous?" I ask quietly.

"No," she says too loudly and too quickly.

I laugh. "You'll be fine!"

The train's whistle sounds.

"We better go," I put forward.

"I've already bribed some First Years into saving the best compartment for us," Af tells.

"Perfect."

We drag our trunks onto the train and find our reserved seating. The little First Years (when did they get so small?) swarm as we sit down, and we shout, "Thank you!" as they run. Kirsten plunges into the cushion, instantly looking at home. I notice that she doesn't seem nervous at all anymore. Huh.

A few seconds later, the whistle sounds, and the train lurches into movement. Perfect. It's time to commence with the plan.

"Well, girls," I start trying to hide my smile, "I'm off to the Head's meeting."

"Ok."

"Whatever." I only get mumbled responses. Afhton has settled with a book, and Kirsten is eating. Of course.

"Does anybody know who the Head Boy is?" I ask as I open the compartment door. I hope I sound legit. I was never a good actress.

"Oh! You don't know?" Af says, excitedly. "It's James! Isn't that just perfect since you two are—"

She is cut off by Kirsten's hand slamming down on her mouth. The two of them scramble around for a bit, and Af emerges.

"What the bloody hell was that?"

"I'll explain. Lily, get out of here!" she commands.

I do as she says. I step out cautiously into the hallway of the train. A few students are milling about. Mumbling hellos to everyone, I make my way to the far end of the train, right by the Head's compartment. I peer towards the other end, down the hall, waiting to see James.

"Pssst! Lily!" I whirl around in shock only to see James's floating head. That bugger brought the Invisibility Cloak for a little prank?

"You idiot! You're supposed to be on the other side!" I reprimand.

"Oh, sorry," he says, wide-eyed. He starts to move past me, then turns and mutters, "You know, it really doesn't feel very good when you call me names."

"Oh, shut up, you dolt," I tease smiling. With one last crooked grin, he disappears. After a few seconds, he pops up at the end of the hall. This is it.

"Hello, Ally," I say to a nice sixth year Prefect after I open the door.

"Oh, 'ello, Lily," she responds. I've always liked her. "How was your summer? You look tan!"

Ha! I wouldn't look tan even if I stayed in California for the summer… Hm… wait a second. That sounds familiar…

But I say, "Really? Thanks!"

"And congratulations on making Head Girl!" Her green/blue eyes light up with sincerity. I forgot how nice she was.

"That reminds me," I start, slipping into character. I'm a girl named Lily Evans. I've always wanted to be Head Girl. I hate—no, I loathe James Potter. He is the most obnoxious prick in the whole world! He's a git!

I start giggling. Hating James is so _weird_.

"Yes, Lily?" Ally says, reminding me that I have a job to do.

"Who is the Head Boy?" I ask eagerly.

I instantly see her blanch. She must be trying to find the best way to say this.

"I'm trying to find the best way to say this—" Whoa. I'm good! "—but I guess I'll just say it." She takes a deep breath. "James is Head Boy."

"James O'Connor?" I inquire. James O'Connor is a smart Ravenclaw boy with a face full of acne and a mouth full of braces. Character Lily would love to have him as Head Boy over James. I mean, Potter.

"No," she replies hesitantly. "James Potter."

"WHAT?!" I shout, trying not to burst out laughing. "JAMES POTTER IS THE FREAKING HEAD BOY?!?!?!?"

Ally takes a step back. It's a good thing, too. I am totally in character now.

"Talkin' about me again, are you, Lilypop?" I hear James call from down the hall. I spin to look at him. The once leisurely corridor is now bare. Students poke their heads out from all doors.

"POTTER!" I shriek. Several students flinch at the noise.

"Yes, love," he says casually, arrogantly, striding towards me.

"I can't believe that an egotistical, obnoxious, self-centered git like you would ever be Head Boy!" I yell, walking towards him as well.

"So you heard the good news!" he remarks, extending his arms to the side. "Now we get to spend so much more time together. We can even go on that date that you've been dying to have. With me."

"Keep dreaming, pretty boy," I spit, my voice oozing with contempt.

"There's no need for compliments, my flower. I already know that you can't resist me." He's so good at being conceited. I guess he's had a lot of practice.

I scoff angrily. "Ugh, I hate you, Potter!" I shout. By this time, we're face to face in the middle of the hall. Almost everyone is watching our show.

"You know," he starts, smiling evilly, "hate and love are very similar emotions."

"No, I HATE you!" I scream in his face.

"Oh yeah?" he asks skeptically, crossing his arms.

"Yeah!" I respond. "I hate you so much that I—" I stop short.

"Yeah?!" he shouts, edging closer.

"So much that I could—"

"Yeah?!"

James breaks character for just a second. Through the fake annoyance on his face I see him crack a grin. He quickly covers it up with a scowl.

"I could—oh, I give up!" I sigh and throw myself into his arms. I press my body against his and kiss him full on the mouth.

In front of the whole school.

I hear a collective gasp come from all directions. My eyes are closed, and I concentrate on making the kiss as messy and dramatic as possible. Normally, James's kisses are tender and sweet, but this one is frantic and grope-y. His hands tangle in my hair. My arms grip his shoulders.

I can distinctly hear Kirsten and Sirius's laughs from in front of me. Everything else is dead silent. After a few more seconds, I wretch myself from James to take a breath. We take a step away from one another, still holding both hands, though. Now that the prank is over and my character has faded, I feel a blush start to spread on my face. James smiles gleefully.

We turn around and address our shocked classmates. "Everyone," James announces, "the lovely Lily and I are together and very much in love." Nobody blinks.

"It was decided that this was the best—well, not the best, but the most hilarious—way to tell all of you," I try to explain.  
Silence. Nothing. Cricket, cricket.

Now this is awkward.

"Alright then!" Sirius shouts, emerging from the crowd. "Show's over! Go back to your knitting!"

"No!" Kirsten yells from somewhere. "Knitting is too dangerous!"

That makes both James and I smile. I gaze up into his eyes, and I can't help thinking how lucky I am. I also can't believe how much my feelings towards this messy haired boy have changed. Three months ago and this fake scene could very much be true. Minus the whole snogging bit.

I take his hand, and we head towards our compartment. Suddenly, the old lady with the candy trolley appears right behind James. (Actually, I have a theory that she has a crush on him. Which is weird. And he's mine, so back off, lady!)

"Anything sweet for you, dear?" she asks musically.

"No thanks," he answers. "I've already got one." He turns and looks straight at me, smiling impishly.

Though I whack his arm at the cheesy-ness, I give him a kiss on the cheek anyway. I hear a girl exclaim, "Awwww!" at James's line.

We stroll back to the car to where Sirius, Kirsten, Afhton, and Remus are waiting for us (Peter is apparently stalking the trolley lady).

"Right good show, mate," Sirius says, clapping James on the back.

"Your performance was very believable, Lily," Remus comments. I grin.

I turn to sit down by James since I am the only one still standing. In the manner of the most extremely unrealistic coincidences, the train hits a bump (I didn't know that was possible!). I go flying and land right on James's lap. I shift to move off of him, but he holds me tight. I lean in to his chest.

"What a perfect coincidence," he mumbles into my hair.

I turn my head and kiss him softly.

My idiot friends gag obnoxiously.

But I am totally and blissfully happy.

I can't help but remember how it was an extremely unrealistic coincidence that brought James and I together for the summer. It's not by coincidence, however, that we will stay together. I am starting my last year at Hogwarts, and I couldn't be happier. I have by best friends (and Sirius) and the love of my life by my side. And that feeling will never go away. I love him with all of my heart. Even though he can't sing, he's obsessed with his hair, and his friends are morons. And even though his middle name is Marion.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

The End

A/N: Typing those last two words was the weirdest experience ever! I can't believe it's over! For all of you who experienced this with me, from the people who reviewed every single chapter to the new readers, thank you! Thanks for the encouraging reviews, the favorite quotes, and for reading my story. (I'm gonna get all gushy now.) I never realized how much I love writing until I found this site. Now, I have a few ideas for my own stories that I'm going to start. And I can't wait!

Also, to anyone reading this after its completed, don't be shy to send reviews. I would love to hear if you loved or hated it. If you thought it was stupid or hilarious. Once again, thank you to all of my loyal reviewers. I love you guys! It's been a great ride.


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